COMPANY INFORMATION: REFERENCE BOOKS

Certain information in most corporate entries is similar: contact sources, annual sales, year founded, number of employees, etc. In the annotations below, such data will be referred to as "standard directory information."

America's Corporate Families (Billion Dollar Directory)
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. HG 4057.A147 2005
• Published by Dun & Bradstreet
• Standard directory information
• Contains 12,700 ultimate parent company listings and over 75,000 listings for branches, divisions and subsidiaries
• No financial data
• Access to branches, divisions and subsidiaries is the best feature of this resource
• Provides minimal contact information for many companies


Business Rankings Annual
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HG 4050 .B86 2006
• Published by the Gale Group
• "Lists of companies, products, services, and activities compiled from a variety of published sources"
• Provides ranking information for nearly 5,000 areas of economic activity
• Lists "top 10" (when available) per ranked category
• Each ranking includes remarks on criteria used for ranking and a list of ranked items
• "Outline of Contents" serves as an alphabetized subject directory
• All rankings include the source compiled from
• Indexed by company, person, product, location, industry, SIC (with conversion guide to NAICS)
• Also includes international rankings
• Bibliography lists over 300 sources consulted
• This is an easy-to-use resource for locating a company's ranking within an industry, providing a comparison with competing companies


Career Guide: D&B Employment Opportunities Directory

Downcity Campus Library

Ref. Desk HF 5382.5 .U5 .D86 2005
• Provides career-oriented profiles for over 6,000 companies
• Entry for each company includes the following: disciplines hired, brief overview of company, career opportunities, training and development, additional company locations, benefits, contact information for employment opportunities
• Indexed by location, industry, branch offices, disciplines hired
• Also identifies employers offering work-study or internship programs
• One of the best sources for easy retrieval of information useful to job hunters

Corporate Directory of U.S. Public Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HG 4057 .A156468 2005
• Published by Walker's Research, LLC
• Standard directory information
• Profiles over 10,000 publicly-held U.S. companies, including foreign countries offering American Depository Receipt
• Financial data includes the following: end of fiscal year, latest annual data, current assets, total assets and liabilities, net worth, indicated annual dividends, debt/equity ratios
• Indexed by company, officers/directors, owners, SIC code, subsidiary/parent status, location, stock exchange tickers
• Includes limited listings for international companies
• This directory is very informative for those companies which it examines


D&B Business Rankings
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. HG 4057 .A237 2005
• Ranks over 25,000 of the nation's most prominent companies, both private and public
• Entries list only address, telephone number and ranking data
• Ranks domestic and international companies by sales volume/numbers of employees, using criteria such as size, location and industry
• Provides considerable data on rankings, but no additional information
• Great source for basic ranking information for domestic and international companies

D&B Million Dollar Directory: America’s Leading Public and Private Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. HC 102 .D8 2000 (5 vol.)
• Published by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.
• Provides standard directory information for 160,000 companies
• May also include the following: corporate officers, company's accounting/banking relationships, import/export indication
• Provides cross-referencing geographically and by industry
• No financial data
• Of these companies, 136,000 are privately held, making this a useful source for basic information on companies which do not often divulge information about themselves


D&B Regional Business Directory
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HG 4057 .N35 D86 2006 (3 vols.)
• Published by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.
• Provides standard directory information for over 20,000 New England companies
• Financial, manufacturing and service sectors of the regional economy are represented
• Rankings for top 1,000 companies by number of employees and by sales
• Indexed by company, location and SIC code
• Well-organized and easy to use, but gives only minimal information


Directory of American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries. 15th ed.
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HG 4538 D5 1999 (3 vols.)
• Published by Uniworld Business Publications, Inc.
• Standard directory information
• Contains contact information for 2,450 American firms with over 29,000 branches, subsidiaries and affiliates in 190 countries
• Entries include, wherever possible, listing of key personnel
• Includes indexes by corporation, by country
• Best quick print source for locating this type of information


Directory of Chain Restaurant Operators
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk TX 907 .D49 2005
• Published by Chain Store Guide
• Standard directory information
• With over 50,000 listings for over 5,600 companies in the US and Canada, this is the best print source for company profiles for the chain restaurant industry, including foodservice management companies and hotels with restaurants
• Directory entries include the following: total units, trading area, primary menu categories, catering services, primary distributors, parent company, take-out, alcohol served as percentage of total sales
• Statistical tables include analysis of the following: breakdown by menu, type of restaurant, headquarters, and leading companies based on total sales
• Provides contact information for state restaurant associations, trade shows calendar; also, food service industry rankings
• Indexed by company, type of food service operation, menu type, and franchise
• Excellent source for researchers, sales personnel, job seekers
• This is the most comprehensive print source for companies in the industry; provides valuable industry information available in no other source


Directory of Foreign Firms Operating in the United States. 12th ed.
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HG 4075 .A21943 2004
• Published by Uniworld Publications
• Standard directory information
• Contains contact information for over 2,800 foreign firms from 79 countries and more than 7,200 US businesses which they own, entirely or partially
• Entries include CEO listings


Directory of High Volume Independent Restaurants
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk TX 907.D495 2005
• Published by Chain Store Guide
• Profiles 7,700 independent restaurants in the US
• Standard directory information
• Directory entries include the following: market segmentation, type of foodservice, food wholesaler, menu type, average check, catering service, liquor availability
• Also provides listings of major trade associations, state restaurant associations, trade shows calendar, food service industry statistics
• Indexed by company and location
• Excellent source for researchers, sales personnel and job seekers
• This is the primary source for print information on independent restaurants; provides valuable industry information available in no other source


Dun's Directory of Service Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HD 9981.3 .D86 2006
• Published by Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.
• Provides standard directory information for approximately 50,000 service companies which are headquarters or single location operations
• May also include the following: corporate offices, company's accounting/banking relationships
• Provides cross-referencing geographically and by industry
• No financial data


Hoover's Handbook of American Business
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk Hoover's HG 4057.A28617 2005
• Published by Hoover's Business Press
• Provides standard directory information
• 750 companies (mostly public) receive in-depth profiles which include an overview, history, officers, location(s), competitors, products/operations, historical financials (10 years), number of employees, stock price history (10 years), latest fiscal year-end statistics
• Contains rankings for 69 categories, including the following topical areas: biggest and richest, health care, media, legal/business/financial services, retail, technology, transportation, stock markets, the workplace, sports
• Indexed by industry, headquarters location, brands, and people named in profiles
• Excellent source (for what it covers)


Hoover's Handbook of Emerging Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk Hoover's HG 4057 .A28618 2005
• Published by Hoover's Business Press
• Provides standard directory information
• Examines up-and-coming companies, with high growth potential
• 100 companies receive standard profiles, which include an overview, officers, location(s), competitors, products/operations, employees, historical financials (5 years), latest fiscal year-end statistics
• Provides capsule summaries for 500 companies, including a brief overview, officers, sales, employees, competitors
• Contains rankings for 17 categories, which include income and sales growth, market value, stock appreciation, profit margin
• Indexed by industry, headquarters location, brands and people named in profiles
• Excellent for what it covers

Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk Hoover's HG 4057 .A28616 2005
• Published by Hoover's Business Press
• Provides standard directory information
• 200 companies receive in-depth profiles which include an overview, history, officers, location(s), competitors, products/operations, historical financials (10 years), sales history (10 years), latest fiscal year end statistics, logo (when available)
• 700 companies receive abbreviated profiles, which include officers, latest year sales figures, key competitors, brief overview
• Contains rankings for 9 business categories
• Indexed by industry, headquarters location, brands and people named in profiles
• Excellent source for private companies, which are often difficult to find information about


Hoover's Handbook of World Business
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk Hoover's HG 4009 .H66 2005
• Published by Hoover's Business Press
• Provides standard directory information
• 300 major companies in more than 35 countries based outside of the U.S. receive in-depth profiles, which include an overview, history, officers, location(s), products/operations, competitors, historical financials (10 years), number of employees, stock price history (10 years), latest fiscal year end statistics
• Contains rankings for 32 categories, including the following: biggest and richest, industry, stock markets, trading partners, profit, sales growth, market value
• Indexed by industry, headquarters location, brands and people named in profiles
• While not comprehensive, this source does an admirable job for what is covers

Hoover’s MasterList of U.S. Companies (2 vols.)
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk Hoover’s HF 5035 .H66 2006
• Published by Hoover’s Business Press
• Provides standard directory information
• Offers capsule summaries for 6,460 public companies, 2,180 private companies and 500 non-profits
• Public companies’ summaries include an overview, officers and limited financials (5 years)
• Private companies’ summaries include an overview, officers and limited financials (5 years – when available)
• Contains rankings in the following categories: number of employees, annual sales, 5-year sales growth
• Indexed by industry, headquarters location, stock exchange symbol
• Great source for brief profiles of the top U.S. corporations (based on sales); especially useful for information on private companies and non-profits

How to Find Financial Information About Companies
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk 54.5 .W992x 1999
• Published by Washington Researchers Ltd.
• Provides research strategies and tips for maximizing retrieval of information on companies' finances
• Includes advice on interviewing for company financial data, sources for ready-made financials, compiling an income statement, compiling a balance sheet
• Also lists publishers, vendors, federal regulatory agencies and state corporate offices
• Very thorough and arranged for efficient use


How to Find Information About Divisions, Subsidiaries & Products. 9th ed.
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HF 54.5 .W993x 1999
• Published by Washington Researchers Ltd.
• Offers research strategies and tips for maximizing retrieval of information on divisions, subsidiaries and product lines
• Includes information on industry overviews, background data, financial data, retrievable from private and public sources
• Also lists publishers, vendors and suppliers
• Very thorough and arranged for efficient use


How to Find Information About Foreign & Global Companies. 10th ed.
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HF 54.5 .W994x 1999
• Published by Washington Researchers Ltd.
• Offers research strategies and tips for maximizing retrieval of information on international corporations
• Lists relevant directories, periodicals, databases and Internet sources
• Discusses the research potential of US government agencies, international organizations and private sector organizations
• Very thorough and arranged for efficient use


How to Find Information About Private Companies. 8th ed
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HD 2771 .H695 1997
• Published by Washington Researchers Ltd.
• Provides extensive information for strategies for maximizing retrieval of information on private companies, an often elusive task
• Includes information on government sources (federal/state/local) and locating competitor information
• Includes sample case studies
• Very thorough and arranged for efficient use

International Directory of Company Histories
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. Desk HD 2721 .I63 1988 - (Index Area)
• Published by St. James Press
• This ongoing series (currently 38 volumes) has profiled over 4,900 American and international companies
• Provides thorough coverage of a company's history, with each entry providing a 3-to-4 page overview
• For inclusion, a company must achieve over $25,000,000 in annual sales and be a leader in its field
• Standard directory information accompanies each profile
• Each profile lists principal subsidiaries (if available), principal competitors and bibliographic references
• Also includes company logo (when available)
• Cumulative indexes by company, industry, location
• Excellent source for an area in which information is often scarce


Mergent Manuals
Downcity Campus Library
Various call #s (7 vols.) 2000-2004
• Formerly know as “Moody’s Manuals”
• These directories provide detailed analysis for over 40,000 corporations in the US and worldwide
• Manuals include the following: Banking & Finance, Industrial, International, OTC Industrial, Public Utility, Transportation, OTC Unlisted
• Provides standard directory information
• This source is one of the best available for financial information about a company, going into exhaustive detail about its accounting, balance sheets, line of credit, debt and related matters
• Provides full listing of subsidiaries and top corporate officers
• A short history is provided, but it consists solely of incorporation, acquisition and merger data
• "Corporate Visibility Select" feature offers enhanced company information, for which the company must pay a fee
• Mergent Manuals will not give you a "feel" for a company or its corporate culture, but is unsurpassed for financials


Standard & Poor's Register of Corporations, Directors and Executives
Downcity Campus Library
Ref. HG 4057 .A4 2001 (3 vols.)
• Provides profiles for over 75,000 corporations, names and titles of over 389,000 corporate officers and 71,000 short biographies of select top-level managers (vols. 1 and 2)
• Provides accounting/bank relationships for many companies
• Vol. 3 provides indexing for the following: SIC codes, location, cross-reference index (parent companies, subsidiaries), obituaries, new individual additions, new company additions
• Provides basic information for a large number of companies and executive personnel, but no in-depth analysis

Compiled by Rick Keogh 7/99; revised 11/02, 6/03, 1/06

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