History
Originally formed in 2410 by the ambitious Skrellian captain, Q'etzl Quorlo, Glithari Exports quickly cornered a growing market with the expansion of the Orion Confederation: luxury goods. It's no secret that the universe is full of rare commodities, those things ascribed incredible value due to their scarcity, quality, or something in-between. And, while Centaur Provisions and Ward-Takahashi feud for contracts in an ever-increasing market, the transport and selling of luxury goods fell upon independent traders, or private trade companies. A market that Q'etzl thought he could take over.
The answer to Q'etzl's ambitions came from the frontier of space: in distant worlds and stations, far from the core of the Orion Confederation, the demand for the comforts of home had skyrocketed. In a time where colonists and stationeers had to 'make do' with spartan quarters and pre-approved cargo, Glithari was quick to offer an alternative. For a competitive price, much lower than a rival trade company like Nebula Gas could offer, Glithari would handle the shipping and delivery of things considered 'luxurious' to those living on the frontier. That term tended to vary from world-to-world; to some, it meant expensive spirits or delicacies, and to others, it meant something as simple as a month's water supply. Glithari's methods were simple, and almost antithetical to a pure capitalist mindset: buy high, sell low. By offering frontier worlds cheap prices, they were able to expand, and maintain a positive reputation throughout many frontier systems. Their fortune was so good, that the company weathered the Syndicate Wars without incident, and by the end, Glithari Exports had a near-total monopoly on luxury goods in the war-torn frontiers of the Confederation.
Modern Day
Glithari Exports has recently hit a snag, however, in their total domination of their chosen market. For one, the resurgent Nebula Gas has expanded their services to trade vessels, and a fair few of Glithari's previous providers have been offered tempting contracts by the former gas company. Second, the Thalar has, in recent times, gone down in value; prices to ship out to the frontier were already expensive enough, but it's now to the point where Glithari's offerings would seem blatantly unfair, at times. Time will tell if Glithari Exports can come back from their economic downturn, but one thing is certain: animosity has grown between Glithari and Nebula, to the point of alleged industrial sabotage, as seen in the 2546 Station Bombing over Lockheed.
Ethos
For a long time, Glithari's main goal was providing the comforts of home to weary colonists and spacers, far from such comforts. As the value of the Thalar has gone down, however, the company has had to make sacrifices: prices on luxury goods have gone up, and it's been harder and harder for the company to maintain it's network of merchant ships and escort vessels. Perhaps the strongest point going for them is that, for the longest time, they stood uncontested. It wasn't that nobody had tried before: it's that nobody wanted to try in the first place; Glithari's network of providers runs deep, some of them maintaining trade agreements decades old, and thus, Glithari can afford to manufacture and ship such goods at an affordable price.
Influence
Within frontier space, along the neutral zones between the Kingdom of Adhomai and the Orion Confederation, Glithari Export's monopoly on luxury goods still holds strong. For many, they're the only source for the niceties of life, from expensive Moghesian rum to laminated morphium coins, from reproduction firearms to designer clothing. Even NanoTrasen, who's stations are often fitted with advanced autolathes, will still rely on a Glithari shipment or two to keep their employees happy.