Biz Briefs: Not Your Average Bear

Everywhere maxine clark goes, people ask her, "Are you the bear lady?" And it's not because she has a cuddly stuffed bear named Curly strapped into the backseat of her car. A former shoe executive, Clark, 56, is the founder and chief executive of Build-A-Bear Workshop, a mall-based toy retailer that has sold more than 26 million customer-made teddies ($10 to $25 each; outfits and accessories cost extra) since it opened its first store in St. Louis , Mo., eight years ago. Today the chain has more than 180 U.S. stores and 16 overseas franchises; last year it earned $20 million...

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