Ok, here's what I came up with. Add this code (your modified version) using links as DogByteMan illistrated (and already in the code below) to your skin1/customer/categories.tpl. Add it toward the very bottom between the
and {/capture} tags.
This is the code to add:
Code:
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt" color="#CC0000">Manufacturer Search</font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt">
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/xcart/customer/search.php?substring=safariland">
Safariland</a></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt">
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/xcart/customer/search.php?substring=bianchi">
Bianchi</a></font></p>
So the whole file should look like this:
Code:
{* $Id: categories.tpl,v 1.18 2003/02/25 08:58:46 olga Exp $ *}
{capture name=menu}
{if $config.General.root_categories eq "Y"}
{section name=cat_num loop=$categories}
<font class=CategoriesList>
{ $categories[cat_num].category_name|escape }</font>
{/section}
{else} {section name=cat_num loop=$subcategories}
<font class=CategoriesList>
{ $subcategories[cat_num].category_name|escape }</font>
{/section}
{/if}
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt" color="#CC0000">Manufacturer Search</font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt">
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/xcart/customer/search.php?substring=safariland">
Safariland</a></font></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0; margin-bottom: 0">
<font face="Verdana" style="font-size: 9pt">
<a href="http://www.yoursite.com/xcart/customer/search.php?substring=bianchi">
Bianchi</a></font></p>
{/capture}
{ include file="menu.tpl" dingbats="dingbats_categorie.gif" menu_title=$lng.lbl_categories menu_content=$smarty.capture.menu }
This will enable you to add a drop down menu if you like as well. You can see what it looks like here:
http://store.realpolice.net 
One other thing: I added the manufacturer name to each title of every product which will obviously help in the searches.