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Overviews & Histories
A variety of online and print sources provide summary data (overviews) and detailed histories. Here is a list of some of the best. Again, there is much more information available for publicly-held companies.
International Directory of Company Histories (Print)
WCU REF HD 2721 .I63 1988
Provides two- to four-page summaries of the beginnings and evolution of major companies. Bibliographies are included.
Encyclopedia of Consumer Brands (Print)
WCU REF HF 5415.3 .E527 1994
Similar to the above resource but with an emphasis on logo development and how the company was affected.
Datamonitor Reports (Online)
These are available through Business Source Premier. Click on the Company Profiles link, then search for a company name. Reports are 10 to 40+ pages in length and cover large, US, international, public, and private companies. Information includes company history, description of the business, key employees and their compensation, competitors, and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis.
LexisNexis Company Dossier (Online)
Use for public and private companies. The initial page for each company is a Snapshot that includes basic information about the company. The Snapshot for Microsoft, while short, will have more detail than the one for the Mad Batter in Cullowhee.
Many large companies have entire books—or even several—written about them. Do a subject search on the company name in the Library Catalog to find these. Here are a few examples: