Research Guides: Company Information: Private Companies

Private Companies

Private companies have private ownership. Private companies may issue stock and have shareholders, but their shares are not traded on public exchanges. Private companies are not required to release any information and are therefore more challenging to research. Often the best way to find information is to search for articles published about the company in newspapers, magazines, trade journals and newspapers.

Databases

These subscription databases can be used remotely with an active Austin Public Library Card or on the public computers at any of our locations.

Gale Business: Insights
Research and analyze companies and industries around the world.
Gale OneFile: Business
Full-text coverage from nearly 4,000 leading business and trade publications
Factiva
More than 32,000 sources from over 150 countries in 28 languages, company reports, and current & historical market data. Click on Companies/Markets and then Company at the top of the database page. In the Get Company Snapshot section, search by company name.
AtoZdatabases
Reference and marketing database includes 30 million business profiles and 220 million residents.

Corporate Websites

A wealth of information can be found on company websites. Find company websites using your preferred search engine.

Books

Hoover's Handbook of Private Companies
Profiles 900 of the largest and most influential private companies. Entries feature overviews of company operations, up to five years of financial information, product information, and lists of company executives. Some larger and more visible companies will feature an additional History section.
Hoover's Handbook of American Business
Profiles 750 of the largest public and private U.S. enterprises according to sales and number of employees whose annual revenue exceeds $2 billion.