Arrowhead Research Corp: Finding Cure for Obesity and the HBV Infection

One of the biopharmaceutical companies that have focused its resources on programs and therapeutics in oncology is Arrowhead Research Corp. The company also has several clinical programs that are already in the pipeline to combat obesity and chronic hepatitis B.

The novel therapeutics that are being studied and developed by the business are based on RNAi therapeutics. There are two product candidates of the company that are currently on Phase 1 clinical trial. The ARC-520 is their flagship medication that is intended to combat the HBV infection, their Adipotide is created to address obesity and other metabolic disorders. The RNAi interference mechanism that is the foundation of their products is created to efficiently silence disease-causing genes while sparing off-target tissues.

Headquartered in Pasadena, California, Arrowhead Research has been around since 2003. Currently, they have two platform technologies that serve as a broad base for their product development: Homing Peptides and Dynamic Polyconjugates.

BGC Partners: World’s Leading Brokerage Company

One of the largest global financial services companies headquartered in New York City is BGC Partners. The company’s corporate office is in the middle of the business district of the state. The company’s growth is mainly attributed to the mergers and strategic acquisitions it has made through the years. It was in 1945 that the company started.

Although the history of the business traces back to 1945, the company itself was formally introduced as an independent business in 2004. Prior to that, the company was a division of Cantor Fitzgerald organization. This American company is considered today as one of the leading brokerage companies in the world. It primarily services the financial and real estate markets. The business is publicly held and has its common stocks traded on the NASDAQ.

The products and services offered by BGC include interest rate swaps, fixed income securities, credit derivatives, equity derivatives, foreign exchange, equities, commodities, structured products, futures and commercial real estate. They also offer information, clearing, processing and various broker-dealer services. These offerings are helpful to both financial and non-financial institutions. As a trusted financial services company, they also have their proprietary financial technology solutions that are marketed by their brand names, BGC Market Data and BGC Trader.

The real estate business arm of the company involves providing leasing and corporate advisory, consulting, project and development management, property and facilities management, financial services and investment sales. Their customer base includes corporations, the government, real estate developers, investment firms, some of the world’s largest banks, investment banks, trading firms and broker-dealers.

It was Bernard Gerald Cantor, who founded the business. His company served as a brokerage for inter-dealer fixed income markets. His venture was initially named as B. G. Cantor and Company and then later on, evolved to become Cantor Fitzgerald, the parent business of BGC Partners.

Addus HomeCare Corp: A Personal Home Care Services Company

The business started out in 1979 as a home cleaning service company that focused its offerings to the residents of downtown Chicago, Illinois. When the business acquired a contract to provide service to those at-risk elderly populations in Chicago, the business has expanded its offerings to include caring for the elderly and became the National Home Care Services.

As the company continued to expand its community care programs, they also kept on acquiring similar businesses until the business became the Addus HomeCare in 1996. The name Addus came from a Celtic deity who provides wellness and health to his people. This name was chosen after a name change competition took place. From a small venture, the company has grown into a national brand name with operations in 21 states and more than 120 office locations in operation. Every week, the business provides home care services to over 30,000 customers. Addus today is considered as one of the largest providers of personal home care and support services especially for the elderly. They are known for their forward thinking and innovative approach in caring for the aged population.

Apco Oil and Gas International: An Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Company

One of the oil and gas companies headquartered in Oklahoma is Apco Oil and Gas International, Inc. The business has its main office located in Tulsa. As an energy business, the company is engaged in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas across South America.

The majority of the assets of the business is located in Argentina and in Colombia. It was in 1970 that the company got organized as Apco Argentina, Inc. although their operations already started way back in the 1960s. Focusing on the South American region, the company invested on interests in eight oil and gas concessions across Argentina. They also have two exploration permits in the country and three additional exploration and production contracts in Colombia.

It was in 2009 that the company changed its name to Apco Oil and Gas International, Inc. to reflect its current position in the global market. From a small venture, the company has grown into a multi-million business with assets concentrated in the Neuquen basin. These assets are situated in the Rio Negro province and in the Neuquen area in southwest Argentina. The operations of the business are located in Austral, Neuquen and in the Northwest basins of the country.

To date, WPX Energ, Inc. holds a 69 percent interest over the business. It continues to provide value and revenue to its investors by expanding and growing their assets in the two countries. The goal of the business is to expand its operation in other South American countries and expose the hidden treasures of oil and natural gas on its reserves.

In 1978, Apco Oil and Gas became a publicly traded business on the NASDAQ. The business continues to trade on the exchange under the symbol APAGF. Currently Bryan K. Guiderian heads the company as its Chief Executive Officer.

Williams-Sonoma: A High-end Retail Company

One of the titans of the American food revolution was Chuck Williams, the founder of Williams-Sonoma, a multi-billion American consumer retail company. The business is registered as a high-end supplier of various homes and kitchenwares and other consumables.

The business today is one of the largest e-commerce companies in the United States and carries well loved products in the arena of home furnishings. Other than their more than 600 stores across the United States, the company also operates stores in Puerto Rico, Canada, Australia and in the United Kingdom. The company is the parent business for brand names Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn, Rejuvenation, West Elm, and PBteen. Their product offerings include home furnishings and housewares, specialty foods, soaps and lotions as well as a wide array of kitchenwares.

There are more than 26,000 associates that the business employs around the world. Williams-Sonoma is capable of generating more than $4.5 billion in annual revenue.

Hillshire Brands: America’s Top of the Class Processed Foods

When Sara Lee Corporation spun off its international coffee and tea division, it led to the creation of Hillshire Brands. The company is an American food business that manufactures and markets packaged meat and several other frozen bakery products. The business is based in Chicago, Illinois and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tyson Foods.

The business was created in 2012 and started trading publicly on the New York Stock Exchange. Common stocks are traded under the symbol HSH. The business is already a multi-billion venture with annualized revenue of more than $4 billion. Hillshire Brands is comprised of brand names including Golden Island Premium Jerky, Sara Lee, Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Kahns, Ball Park, Gallo Salame, Aidells, State Fair and Chef Pierre Pies. These products are mostly sold to the retailed and foodservice markets.

While the company is fairly new, the brand names it carries have a history that goes back to as far as more than a century ago. These brand names have been offering the market the freshest bounties and well processed foods. Their State Fair brand name is best known for creating the honey-batter-wrapped hot dog on a stick that has captured the heart of the entire nation since the 1930s. This American classic has become the well-loved Corn Dog. The oldest product and brand name that Hillshire Brands carry is their Gallo Salame. More than a century ago, Louis Gabiati moved from northern Italy to San Francisco and introduced one of the world’s best salamis. The company continued to create this traditional dry salami using the finest meat, processed and aged naturally.

The iconic brand names that the business carries are mostly acquired through the years as the business continues to expand. The tremendous growth of Hillshire Brands happened after the company has merged with Tycon Foods. The merger of the two giant companies got completed in August 2014.