San Mateo, CA

• Ranked No. 43 in the Top Companies in Retail
• Ranked No. 46 in the Top Companies in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

What it does: Online retailer of cleaning, facility and office products, as well as office furniture and outdoor storage products.

Why it's growing: Fills an online niche for timeless consumables. Also, marketing channels, keyword lists, pay-per-click advertising and partnerships with leading suppliers such as Kimberly-Clark are all part of the company's solid sales.

What's noteworthy: When deciding what to sell, the pair zeroed in on one product that met their criteria -- something that remained stable in value, with constant demand through economic downturns and something that didn't require instruction manuals or customer support. In other words, the opposite of technology -- toilet paper.

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