Headquartered in Missouri, today, the Build-A-Bear Workshop Inc. was founded in 1997, boasts 176 North American stores, as well as a few franchises overseas. Sales were boosted to over $300m in 2004 with the company’s net income almost tripled to $20 million. Shares have soared 22 percent since its initial public offering. And it holds the 25th spot on Business Week’s Hot Growth list of the fastest-expanding small companies. Customers come to the store, and literally, build a bear. They choose which stuffed animal they want (a traditional teddy bear or a character, like a policeman, etc.), get it stuffed with fluff, choose a heart to put inside of it, dress it, and then get its birth certificate. Children’s parties are often held there and it makes for a fun activity. The motto of Build-a-Bear is “where best friends are made.”
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