8 Over 80: America's Coolest Octogenarian (and Then Some!) Entrepreneurs

Company: L.G. Accessories
Location: East Windsor, N.J.
Founded: 1993
Employees: Sole-proprietor
Revenue: Undisclosed
While working for an insurance company in her later professional years, Gable was constantly embarrassed by having to reach into her shirt and conceal her fallen bra straps during sales presentations. She came up with the idea for the Strap-Mate -- a band that would hook across the back of a woman’s bra straps to hold them in place. In her late 60s, Gable got a patent for the Strap-Mate and eventually founded L.G. Accessories, her intimate apparel company, when she was 70. She is currently in her 14th year of business, and her products, which now include a divided laundry bag for washing delicates, are sold at department stores such as Nordstrom and JCPenney, and in specialty stores nationwide.

Company: Roper Growers Cooperative
Location: Winter Grove, Fla.
Founded: 1858
Employees: Varies by season
Revenue: Undisclosed
For almost 40 years, Roper has served as president of Roper Growers Cooperative, the family orange-growing business founded by his grandfather in the 1850s. In the 1980s, Roper revolutionized the citrus world with his Tree-See Control System for chemically spraying trees. These days, Roper has his hands in a number of entrepreneurial and environmental projects. He's helping an old Navy buddy develop a revolutionary X-ray machine, investing in technology to clean up polluted lakes, and constructing the "greenhouse of the future" for his town's first green building.

Company: Rockmount Ranch Wear
Location: Denver
Founded: 1946
Employees: Undisclosed
Revenue: Undisclosed
At 106 years old, Weil is believed to be the oldest CEO in the United States. He is also considered an icon in the western wear industry. Weil, who founded Rockmount in 1946 and spends his mornings greeting customers at his retail store in Denver, is known around the world for designing the first western shirts with snaps, and for being the first to produce bolo ties commercially. The Rockmount brand has been popularized by dozens of celebrities over the years -- from Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen, to Ronald Reagan and Robert Redford -- and was used as the wardrobe for the actors of Brokeback Mountain.

Company: Galvin Electricity Initiative
Location: Palo Alto, Calif.
Founded: 2005
Employees: 1
Revenue: N/A
The retired CEO of Motorola, Galvin launched the Galvin Electricity Initiative after a blackout across the Northeast in 2003 cost businesses more than $10 billion in downtime. Now, his team of 60 industry experts wants to replace the current power grid with interconnected micro-grids, an ambitious project he believes will attract small, innovative firms to fill in the technology gaps.

Company: The Apple Organization
Location: North Miami Beach, Fla.
Year Founded: 1980
Employees: 21
Revenue: $2.5 million
When Apple founded The Apple Organization at age 57, she planned on working for about 10 years before retiring. Nearly three decades later, the 84-year-old CEO runs one of the hottest real estate-focused public-relations firms in the nation, earning a spot on the 2007 Inc. 5,000 list of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. She still puts in 40-hour workweeks -- and has no plans on slowing down.

Company: Rothzeid Kaiserman Thompson and Bee
Location: New York
Founded: 1963
Employees: 30
Revenue: $5 million
Fresh off a trip to Nigeria, where he is helping to design a new hospital and medical school, Rothzeid still helps run Rothzeid Kaiserman Thompson and Bee, the architectural practice he founded in 1963. Rothzeid remains involved in the day-to-day operations of his firm, including recruiting new clients, mediating disputes, and hand-sketching designs.

Company: Master Manufacturing Company
Location: Cleveland
Year Founded: 1951
Employees: 32
Revenue: $7 million
When Rubinfield took over Master Manufacturing Company, there were still people who doubted whether a woman could successfully run a growing business. Nearly 30 years later, the office products supplier she helped build is still thriving. With almost $7 million in revenue and a growth rate of 35.6 percent, Master Manufacturing earned a spot on the 2007 Inc. 5,000 list, making it one of the nation's fastest-growing private companies.

Company: Michelina's
Location: Duluth, Minn.
Year Founded: 1990
Employees: Undisclosed
Revenue: Undisclosed
A self-described "peddler from the Iron Range," Paulucci has started some 70 companies. Among his most notable enterprises are Chun King Chinese Foods and Jeno's Pizza Rolls, both of which he eventually sold for millions.  In addition to overseeing his Michelina's brand of frozen dinners, Paulucci is preparing to launch yet another venture -- a frozen snack designed to compete with Hot Pockets.