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.

United Pet Group (UPG) stands united with pet lovers who want only the best for Fido, Precious, Chirpy, and their other companions. United Pet Group company makes and markets premium pet foods and supplies for a variety of pets, including cats, dogs, fish, birds, and small animals. UPG manufactures its products under such brand names as Aquarium Systems, Dingo, Eight in One, Tetra, Jungle Talk, Lazy Pet, Perfecto Manufacturing, Marineland, Nature's Miracle, and Poop Patrol. United Pet Group company's acquisition of the Jungle brand in 2005 was its most recent purchase in a spate of about a dozen deals since 1997. UPG's parent company Spectrum Brands and UPG emerged from six months in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August 2009.

Founded in 1869 as the Penn Metal Corporation of Pennsylvania, the firm is owned by Pennsylvania-based Industrial Manufacturing Company. Penco Products company makes industrial furniture and storage items, including cabinets, carts, lockers, pallet racks, work benches, and shelving. It also offers a line of hygiene products that includes deoderizers, soap dispensers, and floor mats, among other products. Penco's customers include industrial, service, governmental, and institutional organizations throughout the US. The firm operates manufacturing facilities in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

Stefanel makes the clothes that make the man. Or the woman. The company makes knitwear and casual clothes under the Stefanel and Hallhuber brands. In 2007 the company launched the upscale casual clothing brand HIGH through its Interfashion subsidiary. Stefanel's fashions are sold primarily in Europe, and in Asia to a lesser extent, through its roughly 700 stores. It also owns a 50% stake in airport retailer Nuance Group, which has more than 340 shops in some 70 airports across the globe. Stefanel's knitwear is produced at the company's Italian factory while Hallhuber goods are made in its home country of Germany. The company was founded in 1959 by Carlo Stefanel, whose family still runs the business.

Columbia Sportswear Company was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Columbia Sportswear Company engages in the design, sourcing, marketing, and distribution of outdoor apparel, footwear, and related accessories and equipment in the United States, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. The company categorizes its products in four categories: outerwear, footwear, sportswear, and related accessories and equipment. The company offers outerwear products for men and women under Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Sorel, and Pacific Trail brands, as well as for youth under Columbia and Pacific Trail brands. Its outerwear is designed to protect the wearer from the harsher inclement weather commonly encountered in fall and winter outdoor activities, such as skiing, snowboarding, hiking, hunting, fishing, and adventure travel. These products are used by mountaineering athletes and outdoor enthusiasts.Columbia Sportswear Company's ootwear products include hiking and trekking boots, trail running shoes, and rugged cold weather boots for activities on snow and ice; sandals for use in amphibious activities; and casual shoes for everyday use. The company offers sportswear products for men and women under Columbia and Mountain Hardwear brands, and for youth under Columbia brand. Its sportswear products are designed to be worn as a layering system with its outerwear and footwear products during fall and winter outdoor activities, or individually during milder weather. The company offers Columbia-branded accessories and equipment, including bags, packs, headwear, scarves, and gloves; and Mountain Hardwear accessories and equipment, which include tents, sleeping systems, and backpacks. These products are designed for mountaineering, ultralight backpacking and camping. The company sells its products through wholesale distribution channels, independent distributors, retail stores, and licensees.

Major Brands has the distribution spirit. As one of Missouri's largest suppliers of wine and spirits, Major Brands markets and distributes more than 500 different brands of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage products, including Jose Cuervo, Bacardi, Heineken, and Red Bull; it also carries imported and domestic wine from both small and large vineyards. The company delivers about 7 million bottles and 5 million cases of product annually to grocery stores, restaurants, and other retailers in Missouri. Major Brands, which traces its roots back to the 1930s, is owned and operated by the Epsten family and company employees.

Wm. Sugdens makes wearing a uniform a uniform process. Having started out in 1869 as a tailoring operation with a single sewing machine, the company through its subsidiary, ThreadNeedle, provides its customers with a complete range of clothing (accommodating any size) for their employees. Products that are available range from shoes and hats, shirts and skirts, tailored suits and knitwear, to protective clothing. The company consults with each customer and provides a complete service on a turnkey basis, from conception to delivery. Customers can transmit orders online and create their own catalogs. Wm. Sugdens & Sons is a subsidiary of The Wakefield Shirt Group.

Mountain Shades Distributing Company, Inc. company manufactures and distributes performance eyewear specifically for fans and pros of the extreme sports sect, under its Marine Polarized, Motor, Mighty Mite Kids, Optic Nerve, and Mountain Sport brands. Mountain Shades also was one of the first companies to price its products at a seemingly extreme discount, sometimes at one-tenth of the price of its competitors' wares, making the glasses represent performance as much as they do the style of that niche in the fashion and sports market.

Founder and CEO Jeff Pink established the personal care products manufacturer in 1975. Orly International, Inc. company makes nail lacquers and assorted nail care items that are used internationally in salons and spas in more than 65 countries. Its products also are sold through beauty supply stores, including Ulta and Sally Beauty. Orly's nail treatment products include the Original French Manicure, Fungus MD, Calcium Shield, and 3 Step HandSpa, among others. The company boasts the Get a Grip-brand nail polish cap for ease of use.

Samas NV (formerly Samas-Groep) specializes in creating furnishings needed for an ergonomic work environment. The company develops and supplies a wide variety of office furniture for customers throughout eastern and western Europe. Samas products include seating, storage, and desktop furniture for individual workstations, as well as meeting spaces. The company serves its clients through about 20 European operating companies. Samas started as a stationery store in the 1920s, expanded through acquisitions, and later changed its focus to office furnishing.

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