Sportif USA is making its living off of the great outdoors. The family-run company, founded by John Kirsch Sr. in 1965, makes casual clothing for men and women including sportswear (ski apparel, fleece and waterproof outerwear) and clothing targeting outdoor enthusiasts (shirts, hiking shorts, jackets). It also offers organic items. Sportif's apparel collections are sold through traditional retailers, as well as through catalogs and online. The apparel company operates Aventura Clothing Co., a division run out of Sparks, Nevada. After a single-engine plane crash claimed the life of John Kirsch Sr. in 1991, his son John Kirsch Jr. (company president) took the reins of Sportif's operations.

Tom's of Maine hopes that natural health will lead to corporate wealth. The company has made its living, and its reputation, by selling its flagship toothpaste brand (responsible for more than half of company sales), as well as mouthwash, dental floss, deodorant, soap, and shaving cream made from natural ingredients and distributed in environmentally-friendly packaging. The firm gives 10% of its pre-tax profits to charitable organizations and encourages its employees to use 5% of their paid time doing volunteer work. CEO Tom Chappell and his wife, VP Kate Chappell, founded Tom's of Maine in 1970. Seeking entry into the specialty toothpaste market, Colgate acquired the company for about $100 million in 2006.

Dolce & Gabbana S.r.l. designs, produces, and distributes clothing, leather goods, footwear, and accessories. It also offers fragrances, eyewear, timepieces, and jewels. Dolce & Gabbana S.r.l. was founded in 1985 and is based in Milan, Italy. It has subsidiaries in New York, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. The company has distribution branches in Rome, London, Paris, Barcelona, and Düsseldorf. Dolce & Gabbana S.r.l. operates as a subsidiary of Dolce & Gabbana Luxembourg S.à.r.l.

Bollman Hat Company is going to bowl anyone over with a Bowler, but the company can still keep your head warm, protected from the sun, and stylish to boot. It sells a variety of hats and hat collections under brands, including Timberland (licensed) and Kangol (licensed); it owns the Bailey, Country Gentleman, Eddy Bros., Helen Kaminski, Ignite, PANTROPIC, and Plaza Suite brands, among others. Bollman, which was founded in 1868, sells its hats in more than 55 countries around the world. In 1985 company management bought the firm from the founding Bollman family.

President and CEO Raymond Metzner, then a practicing veterinarian, started KV Vet Supply out of his garage in 1979. KV Vet Supply offers prescription and non-prescription medicines and veterinary supplies that are discounted and accessible. Sold through its Web site and numerous catalogs, KV Vet Supply's products are designed for domesticated pets (birds, cats, dogs), as well as cows, horses, sheep, and other livestock. It's KV HealthLinks catalog, which meets regulations set by the National Nutritional Foods Association, peddles products for humans the likes of Nature's Way Fisol, Promensil by Novogen, and Colostrum Plus Artho Formula.

Sellstrom Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1923 by G.E. Sellstrom and his wife, Ellen, as Excell Sales Company. Sellstrom Manufacturing company provides protective wear and related products to do-it-yourselfers, as well as corporations, schools, and hospitals. Sellstrom's product line includes eye, face, knee, and head protection (goggles, face shields, knee pads, and hard hats), welding protection (filters and helmets), fall protection (harnesses, lanyards, and lifeline systems) and emergency eye washers and showers.

The business was founded in 1950 as Samuel Aaron International. The Aaron Group supplies rocks to those who dig bling. The diamond and gemstone jewelry manufacturer fills two niches -- it makes moderate to low- end jewelry (sold to mass merchandisers and department stores, including Macy's and Belk), jewelry chains, television retailers, catalogs, and Web sites) and midrange to high-end jewelry. Retail customers range from Wal-Mart to QVC to Helzberg Diamonds and Zales. It also is a major exporter, through its Thailand division (Thai-link Trading Co.), to Asian, Australian, European, and South American markets. The firm has operations in Costa Rica (Samuel Aaron Costa Rica) and India (Sai India).

Founded in 1992 by company owners Jean Hurteau, Guy Hurteau, and France Mnard, Fruits of Passion began with the production of four products (body lotion, bath foam, glycerin soap, and bath oil) with many scent variations for each. Fruits of Passion, the fruits of their passion are becoming more plentiful and visible with each year of the company's success. Fruits & Passion makes, distributes, and retails bath and body products, hair care items, baby care products, home fragrance, sun care, and aromatherapy. Its product lines are sold through more than 165 boutiques in Canada, France, Taiwan, Korea, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and Kuwait, in addition to sales through third-party retailers.

Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing makes Dickies-brand khaki pants, bib overalls, jeans, women's and children's apparel, and Workrite safety uniforms. It also makes apparel and footwear for work and outdoor use under the Kodiak and Terra names. Its work clothes, originally tailored for the blue-collar set, have come back into fashion with teens, which account for a growing portion of sales. Its products are sold worldwide through retailers (Academy, Wal-Mart), directly to businesses, and through its Work Authority stores. It was founded in 1922 by the Williamson family, which still owns the company. Dickies acquired Kodiak Group Holdings in April 2008.

In the 1950's there were dozens of ballpoint models, and nearly every one took a different cartridge. In 1953 Paul Fisher invented the "Universal Refill" which could be used in most pens. It was a good seller, since stationery store owners could reduce their stock of assorted refills.Fisher Space Pen makes pens containing pressurized visco-elastic ink, which makes it possible to write upside down, underwater, in all temperatures, and in zero gravity. The company's pens have starred in space as the official pen of NASA and on TV in a "Seinfeld" sitcom episode. Urban legend has it that NASA spent millions to develop the pen.

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