Apple
Description
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You might say this company is into neighborhood casual dining. Apple American Group is a leading franchisee of Applebee's International, with about 190 Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar locations in Indiana, Ohio, and more than a half dozen other states. The largest casual dining chain in the US, Applebee's restaurants offer a full-service menu of beef, chicken, and seafood entrees, as well as a wide selection of appetizers. The chain is composed mostly of free-standing units. Founded in 1998 by CEO Greg Flynn, Apple American is controlled by private equity firm Weston Presidio Service.
The company has been slowly building its base of casual dining eateries. In 2008, however, it took a major expansion step when it acquired more than 40 Applebee's locations in Southern California and Nevada from the chain's parent company DineEquity. The deal also allows Apple American to develop another dozen units in those markets.
Formerly known as IHOP, DineEquity acquired Applebee's in 2007 and is focused on selling its estate of company-owned locations to new and existing franchisees.
Dell
Description
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Dell wants its name to ring from the desktop to the data center. One of the world's top suppliers of personal computers, the company offers a broad range of technology products for the consumer, education, enterprise, and government sectors. In addition to a full line of desktop and notebook PCs, Dell offers network servers, data storage systems, printers, Ethernet switches, and peripherals such as displays and projectors. It also markets third-party software and hardware. Dell's growing services unit provides infrastructure consulting, systems integration, asset recovery, financing, support, and training.