20th Company in 14 Months to Cut Business Ties Reveals Burma is "New South Africa" - Pottery Barn, a home furnishings store owned by San Francisco-based Williams Sonoma company has announced to the Free Burma Coalition (FBC) that the company has broken off all business ties with the country of Burma "because of the current political and human rights issues." The decision makes the $1.8 billion home retailing giant the 20th company to end business with Burma during the past 14 months on account of human rights abuses, joining other retailers such as Wal-Mart, Costco, TJ Maxx [part of TJX], Fila, IKEA, Sarah Lee, and Perry Ellis.