LibGuides: Company and Industry Information: Company Histories &amp; Profiles

What's the difference between a company history and a company profile?

A company history is usually pretty straightforward: some information about the founding of a company with notable events or achievements up to the time it was written, or the time a company dissolved. Sometimes, you will find a more basic outline with just dates and brief notes, and it might be called a chronology or timeline rather than a history. Histories can be one page long, or an entire book.
Company profiles are... whatever you or the compiler of one wants it to be! One might include:
- history or chronology
- mission statement or vision statement
- financial information: sales figures, stock prices, etc.
- operating results
- industry information and where the company fits in, such as what are some of its competitors

If your professor wants you to create or find a profile, make sure you understand what they are looking for.

Screen shot of Hoovers database main page Business Insights Essentials

Databases on the FIT Library Web Site: (current FIT username/password required)

Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
Use Advanced Search to enter "International Directory of Company Histories" OR "Notable Corporate Chronologies " as "publication name" , along with the company name
Business Source Complete - Business Searching Interface This link opens in a new window
Company profiles available form a variety of sources including Marketline
Hoover's Online This link opens in a new window
Firefox Private and Google Chrome Incognito are supported browsers.

Hoover’s, a subsidiary of The Dun and Bradstreet Corporation (D&B), offers proprietary business information Hoover's provides data on more than 85 million corporations, 100 million people, and 1,000 industries.

Use an incognito browser to access this resource.
Plunkett Research Online This link opens in a new window
Industry market research covering:
Advertising & Branding, Apparel, Textiles & Fashions, Consumer Products & Services, E-Commerce & Internet,Entertainment, Publishing & Media, Games, Apps & Social Media, Green Technology, and Retail. Also some company profiles for "major companies and mid-size firms" in those industries.

Company Profiles for Students ( through Gale eBooks)
Covers more than 400 prominent companies
Plunkett's Retail Industry Almanac 2019 (e-Book)
See other Plunkett industry annual almanacs through OneSearch or

Plunkett Research eBook Collection This link opens in a new window
PDF versions of industry market research annuals:
Advertising & Branding, Apparel, Textiles & Fashions, Consumer Products & Services, E-Commerce & Internet,Entertainment, Publishing & Media, Games, Apps & Social Media, Green Technology, and Retail. Supplemented and updated by Plunkett Research Online

Historical Company Research Webinar
"On June 9, 2021, the staff of Business Reference Services hosted a webinar covering strategies and resources business librarians at the Library of Congress use to research old companies. While the recorded webinar uses resources available at the Library, some of the resources are available through your local library or historical society, both of which have resources to help with this type of research. This recording also covers print and electronic sources, both free and subscription, as well as giving a few tips and tricks picked up over the years."

Columbia Historical Corporate Reports
"A selection of corporate reports from the Columbia Business Library's extensive collection of historical corporate annual reports.The selection targeted corporations that operated in and around New York City. Approximately 36 companies are represented with a total of approximately 770 individual reports (ca. 17,300 pages) ranging from the 1850s through the early 1960s."