Research Guides: How to Find Company Histories: Home

About Company Histories

A company history is an overview of how and why the organization was founded, the values that it was founded on, key events that shaped the company, and other notable events in the organization's past.

Why is a company history important?

It's an effective tool for building a lasting culture and guiding leadership, as it is a connection between the company and its customers that demonstrates a brand's humanity and trustworthiness.

What should a company history include?

A company history should include:

The reasons the company was founded, including its mission and values.
Brief profiles of the founders.
The company's biggest turning points to date.
Noteworthy inspirational, intriguing or just plain funny events during the journey.

Helpful Links

Google
Start by finding the company's website. Some companies provide quite a bit of information right on their own website regarding how and why the company was developed, who founded the company, and complete timelines of important company events. Look for a "History" or "About Us" page.

Find Company Histories Using Library Databases

Business Market Research Collection This link opens in a new window
Conduct company, industry, economic and geopolitical market research with information from these sources: Hoover's Company Profiles, OxResearch, and Snapshots - market research overviews on 40+ industries and 40 countries.

Find Company Histories

Enter your company's name (not ticker symbol) in the search box and click Search
If your company report is found, click on the your company's name to open the report (the most useful reports will be from Hoover's Company Records)
Within the report, check the Table of Contents for pages on which you can find the company history

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Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
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Source for international business intelligence to find case studies, in-depth statistical data coupled with deep research, and the ability to compare global economies, countries, and industries.

Find Company Histories

Enter your company name or ticker symbol into the search box and choose your company from the Company Profiles
Under Company Overview, look for Company History under In-depth Articles

Mergent Intellect This link opens in a new window
Worldwide business information including private and public U.S. and international business data, industry news, facts and figures, executive contact information, and the ability to access industry profiles.

Find Company Histories

Enter your company's name or ticker symbol and select the company from the drop down list
Hover over the Company Overview tab and select Company History