It was not until nearly 25 years after Anthony Maglica went into business for himself that his company really took off. Running a precision parts manufacturer for both the aerospace and military industries, Maglica became determined to create a flashlight for first responders. Maglica launched his Maglite flashlight in 1979 to great fanfare from the likes of police officers and firefighters. Soon after, the product caught the attention of your average American consumer, spreading to households in the United States and around the world. It's anybody's guess what the company brings in every year, but Ben Holmes at Morningnotes.com recalls hearing it was better than $300 million. And that was 10 years ago. "It's the second most ubiquitous consumer product next to a can of WD-40," says Holmes. While Mag Instrument keeps its financials close to the vest, the company employs more than 800 workers and says about 25 percent of its sales come from overseas.