Profiles | Current Information | Local Sources | Company Histories | Financial Sources
Getting Started With Private Company ResearchThe private company, also referred to as the closely held corporation, does not sell stock to the public. A private company may be a sole proprietorship (one owner) or a partnership. Private companies may be quite large, such as Hallmark Cards and Levi-Strauss, or they may be as small as your neighborhood grocery and dry cleaner.
Unlike public companies, private companies are not required by law to disclose information about their organizations. Although general information may be easy to find on very large private companies, financial information will still be difficult to obtain. The smaller the organization, the more difficulty you will experience in finding any information.
Profiles: One-Stop Resources
The following resources provide an array of information, including current news, brief histories and limited financial information on subsidiaries. They are useful for a quick, general overview of your company.
World Wide Web Resources
Hoover's Online.
Hoover's is well known for its extensive collection of company profiles.CorpTech. Profiles 45,000 high technology companies. 80% of coverage is on private companies.
Thomas Register (free service, but requires registration)
Private Company Profiles in Print
Hoovers Guide to Private Companies
Thomas Register of American Manufacturers. (10 Vols.)
A comprehensive listing of American manufacturing firms.Wards Private Company Profiles
Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands
There are also many state, regional and local business directories, manufacturing and service directories, and specialized directories. Consult your library catalog or librarian for help in finding a directory for your company.
See also Private Company Directories listed in the Company Research section of this web site.
Current InformationIf you need current news and developments for your company, use the resources in this section. When searching for information, evaluate your sources carefully.
Reputable newspapers, magazines and journals have generally been screened for accuracy, objectivity, and reliability. You should be careful to evaluate the information you find in these resources, however, because some information will be more authoritative and reliable than others. (For a helpful guide to evaluating articles, see Colorado State University library's How to Evaluate Journal Articles.)Information on the World Wide Web is not monitored, edited or evaluated. Consider the source of your site carefully. (See Evaluating Web Resources, an excellent evaluation checklist developed by Erica Lilly, Coordinator for Electronic Services, Kent Sate University)
Company web sites may be valuable sources of company information, but you must keep in mind that your business has a vested interest in the image its web presence projects. Consider carefully whether the information you obtain is objective and accurate. You may want to verify some information with more than one source.
NewspapersMagazines and Journal Articles
Local Information
You may also want to consult some resources in the area in which your company operates. Local newspapers are an excellent source. Also try the following organizations.International Chamber of Commerce Directory
Chambers of Commerce often publish membership directories and have information on local companies. This site Includes links to online local chambers with names and addresses.
Better Business Bureau
A good resource for finding out whether your company has had any complaints lodged against them.Local Public Libraries
Local libraries may maintain news clipping files on companies in their area. The above link is to State Libraries, which generally provide a directory with addresses and phone numbers (and some links) for all public libraries in the state.
Company HistoriesCompany histories provide background information on your corporation. You may find histories in books, chapters of books, and reference materials. Brief histories may be available in magazine or journal articles. Often, corporations may include histories in the text of their annual report or in their web sites.
Books and Reference Materials
To find books or chapters of books on your company, search your local library catalog or (for OhioLINK patrons) OhioLINK Central Catalog. If you are certain of your company name, searching the name as a Subject will provide you with a precise list of materials. If you are unsure of the proper company name and/or a subject search has not produced any titles, searching by Word may produce good results. For further help using OhioLINK Central see OhioLINK Central Catalog Search Help.
Connect to OhioLINK Central CatalogKeep in mind that generally only the largest, most well known companies will actually have books written on them, so you may not find anything in the catalog on some companies.
If you do not find a book, try one of these collections of company histories from the OhioLINK catalog:
International Directory of Company Histories
Notable Corporate Chronologies
Other Resources for Company Histories
To find histories in magazines or journals, return to Magazine and Journal Articles in the Current Information section above.To find histories in a company web site, see Corporate Web Sites in the Current Information section above.
For more strategies for private company research, read How to Find Information about Private Companies.
Financial Information09/99Private companies closely guard the confidentiality of their financial records. They do not file annual reports. You may find limited financial information on private companies in Newspaper and Magazine articles.Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe, as well as some private company directories (see the Company Research section of this web site,) provide very limited financial information such as estimated gross sales.