Need information on a company? Instead of beginning with the traditional paid services, try going to http://www.hoovers.com/free. This free database can provide basic corporate information, including the following:

• A brief background of the company
• The main executives within the company
• The state where the company is incorporated
• A list of the companies major competitors
• Subsidiary information
• SEC filings
• Links to news stories relating to the company
• A link to the company's website

Searching Hoover's is very easy. You simply plug in the company name, ticker symbol, or DUNS number to begin your search. Hoover's also features functional pathways: Research Companies and Industries, Find Business People and Generate Custom Lists. You can now build lists of companies or executives and then download the list to Excel.

Remember, here in the Wirtz Labor Library we have a number of paper resources available for corporate research in our ready reference collection, including the Directory of Corporate Affiliations (Call No. HF54.5.D57).