26. Gary Richard

Richard is the first retailer to earn placement on the Power List. The Richard family has proven that the hometown hero can still win out in the era of the national big-box retailer by providing quality customer service and ironclad product guarantees. Maintaining a strong presence in the face of national competition during the worst retail market in memory, P.C. Richard & Son puts its employees first and gives back to the region it serves. This is the company’s 100th year of business and Gary Richard is the keeper of the flame—not an easy task, considering most family businesses rarely make it through a third generation. Here’s hoping that our kids can still buy their first appliances from the next generation of the Richard family.