Founded in 1877 by a sea captain named Helly Hansen, the eponymous company returned to Nordic ownership in late 2006 when Bahrain-based Investcorp sold the Norwegian outdoor-wear supplier to Sweden's Altor Equity Partners. The company is the British arm of Helly Hansen, a Norwegian maker of waterproof apparel for outdoor sports and work. The firm's foul-weather offerings feature three layers of apparel to keep the wearer warm and dry. The base layer uses polypropylene yarn that wicks moisture away from the body. The company makes clothing for men, women, and children.

Lafeber Company was founded in the late 1970s by Dr. T.J. Lafeber, a veterinarian who previously operated a pet bird hospital before he began developing bird food products. Lafeber has built a business catering to feathered friends. The firm makes food, toys, and vitamins for pet birds. Lafeber's products portfolio includes brand names Avi-Cakes, Nutri-Berries, Nutri-Start Baby Bird Food, and others. It also makes and markets hand-feeding formula for birds and sells food developed for macaws, lovebirds, cockatoos, and parakeets. The company sells its products through its Web site and in specialty pet and bird stores, such as Petco and Tomlinson, nationwide.

Pranda Jewelry specializes in making affordable gold and silver jewelry set with diamonds and semi-precious stones. Its products (rings, earrings, brooches, lockets, necklaces, and bracelets) are sold globally, mostly with the Pranda brand, but also under names such as Prima, Cristalina, and Century. Pranda has about a dozen manufacturing, wholesale, and retail brand distribution subsidiaries around the world. It launched a German joint venture -- Pranda & Kroll GmbH -- with investor Gregor Kroll to sell gold and silver jewelry in that country and throughout Europe. Pranda Jewelry company continues to expand domestically and overseas.

Spotless Group Limited provides business support services to businesses throughout Australia, New Zealand, the US and about 30 other countries. Its offerings include food services, facilities management, cleaning, laundry services, and print management. Spotless also is a leading maker of clothes hangers and produces labels and packaging for the garment manufacturing and retail sectors. Its customers hail from across the industry spectrum, including education, health care, government, and airports. Recent office openings in Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Morocco have helped extend Spotless' global reach.

Canderm Pharma company develops and sells cosmeceuticals, over-the-counter skin care products, and dermatological items. Canderm Pharma's products portfolio includes ArteSense, Betacaine, Cliniderm, Lipsorex, NeoStrata, Rosacure, and Ultraquin, as well as Condyline Topical Solution, Dermagran II, Epi-Derm, and UltraMOP. The firm also sells Alyria, a skin care line sold exclusively through dermatologists. Canderm Pharma distributes Radiesse, produced by BioForm Medical, a trendy injectible filler alternative to face lifts.

Founded in 1842, it's a subsidiary of billionaire Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway. The firm is a leading uniform manufacturer that outfits those who are employed in public service industries, such as corrections, fire and EMS, military, police, postal, and umpires, as well as military school students. Brand names include Flying Cross by Fechheimer and Urban Defender (battle dress uniforms). Fechheimer Brothers Company owns manufacturing plants in (Hodgenville) Kentucky, (Grantsville) Maryland, and (Jefferson) Pennsylvania.

Wella brushes off much of its competition. One of the world's leading haircare companies, it sells professional and retail haircare products, cosmetics, and fragrances. Its Wella brand is its top seller; hair coloring products (Koleston, Wella Viva) are also leaders. Its Tondeo unit supplies professional products and appliances to salons. Wella's fragrances include Alfred Dunhill, Anna Sui, and Gucci, among others. Reluctantly for Wella at the time, Procter & Gamble acquired a majority stake in the firm in 2003 from four families (Ebert, Pohl, Sander, and Stroeher) that owned some 80% of Wella. Through a Domination Agreement transaction, P&G in November 2007 acquired the rest of its outstanding shares.

American Seating was the first company to manufacture the combination student desk and chair unit when it was founded under the name Grand Rapids School Furniture in 1886. American Seating wants you to be comfortable and take at least one of its seats. A leading manufacturer of seating for a variety of industries, the company has furnished offices, public transportation, schools, auditoriums and stadiums, and entertainment venues such as Busch Stadium in St. Louis and the Tabor Opera House in Colorado. The company sells its products in the US and Canada.

Established in 1996 in New York, Cosmopak now boasts operations in the US, Europe, and Asia. Cosmopak would beg to differ. The company is a contract manufacturer of cosmetics and their packaging. The company's design lab concentrates on developing new makeup application and packaging ideas, such as the massage bottle, semi-permanent pens, the brush pen, 3-in-1 pen, twist pencils, and mascara pencil. It specializes in staying ahead of the curve and innovating new ways to package cosmetics. Current and past clients include Stila Cosmetics, Avon, Blistex, Almay, IMX Cosmetics, and Ultima II.

Women the world over know ESCADA for its bright fabrics, elaborate stitching, hand-beaded work, and tailored looks. The firm designs and sells upscale women's apparel (including evening wear, casual wear, and shoes), accessories, and fragrances in about 410 company-owned and franchised stores in some 60 countries. Apparel, handbags, shoes, and belts are designed in-house; eyewear, jewelry, watches, and scarves are licensed. It sold its Escada Beaut cosmetics division to Wella AG but remains a licensee. Unable to secure financing amid falling sales and earnings, the company in August 2009 filed for bankruptcy protection and is being sold.

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