There Are 2 ways to accomplish the same thing...
1) Via the Browse By Dropdown Widget, with Manufacturer selected as browse Type
or
2) Semi-manually via a custom HTML widget
It's just a matter of preference and slightly more control using the second option.
These can be displayed anywhere html can be displayed.
In the following example, we will be adding a Manufacturer dropdown list to the Left Column.
Browse to Themes > [Active Theme] > Left Column
Add a Custom HTML Widget
Expand the Custom HTML snap-in added by clicking the Edit Icon
Name the HTML Widget
Add the following code to add the merge code and CSS settings. Make sure you've entered the "Text Only" editor, and you're not still in the WYSIWYG mode.
<div id="ctl06_ctl02_ctl00_dvControlHeader" style="width:100%;font-size:9pt;color:black;padding-left:15px;text-transform:uppercase;background:url(/images/site/header_bg.png) no-repeat;">Brand Names
</div>
<div></div>
<div style="height:5px;"> </div>
Note: You can change any of the above CSS settings to customize the display to your store colors/size. You can also change the text 'Brand Names' and 'Quick Select Manufacturer' to anything of your choice.
This adds the manufacturer dropdown to the storefront. In this example we've added it to the Left Column.