LibGuides: Company Research: Private & Local Companies

Private Companies

Because private companies are not required by law to release any information to the public, there is often a limited amount of information available about them.

Databases with some private company information include:

Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window
Provides access to D&B's Hoover's private and public U.S and international company data. It also contains a directory of U.S. consumers, industry profiles, and more.
PrivCo This link opens in a new window
Provides financials and information for hard to research private companies, including deals, funding, and investors, specializing in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K.
Mergent Online This link opens in a new window
Provides comprehensive company data for U.S. and International public and private companies. Mergent is good for finding company financials, SEC filings (US only) current and historical annual reports for U.S. and International public companies, stock information, and executive information. It also has company history, competitors, company ownership (i.e. institutional holdings, insiders, etc.), corporate calendar, company news, industry profiles, and country profiles. ***To search the private companies, select D&B Private Company Database. Includes separate tabs for Mergent Supply Chain, Mergent Bond Viewer, and Mergent Investext.***
Data Axle Reference Solutions This link opens in a new window
Contains directory information on over 14 million U.S. and over 1.4 million Canadian businesses, including detailed information for private companies and franchise locations. ***Previously known as ReferenceUSA.***
Ward's Business Directory This link opens in a new window
***Dates Available: 2007 (ed. 50) - 2012 (ed. 55)***
Provides company profiles on U.S. companies, arranged by alphabet, geography, and industry. Includes brief company data and company rankings.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive resource for U.S. and international companies as well as newspaper articles, transcripts and web news worldwide, along with legal materials from U.S. and international jurisdictions. **To use Company Dossier, pop up blocker must be turned off.**

To construct and download in bulk full text corpora derived from newspapers, newswires and legal and trade publications from this database, use Text Assembler.

Michigan/Local Companies

Michigan Business Directory
HF5065.M5 M52 (Business Library, Reference Collection)
Harris Michigan Industrial Directory
HD9727.M5 H3 (Business Library, Reference Collection)
Michigan Manufacturers Directory
HD9723 .D552 (Business Library, Reference Collection)
D & B Regional Business Directory
HG4058.D6 D86 (Business Library, Reference Collection)
There are two regional business directories for Michigan. One covers the Detroit Metro Area, the second covers all Metro Areas aside from Detroit.

Additional Resources

National Secretary of State Site
All 50 states make some level of corporate and business filings available online. In a few instances only limited information (such as name availability) is retrievable. The majority of the states, however, use their Web presence to disseminate a range of public business records -- and most of them offer access at no charge.
Forbes List
Forbes provides information on the Largest Private Companies, Best Small Companies, 400 Best Big Companies and the World's 2000 Largest Companies, which include a brief description of the companies.
ThomasNet
Online database for manufacturing companies.
Manta.com
Manta is a free online directory of small companies both in the US and worldwide.

MSU Libraries

William C. Gast Business Library

Company Research

Private Companies

Michigan/Local Companies

Additional Resources