Company and Industry Research

This page provides assistance in finding SIC and NAICS codes. SIC codes and NAICS codes classify industries for government census-taking purposes. Many industry reference sources use these codes to organize the contents.  Classes such as BUSI 4940 and MGMT 3820 use these codes to research an industry or a company within an industry.

Using Reference USA to get the industry SIC code

This is a "quick fix" showing how to use Reference USA to get an industry SIC code when you are having a difficult time determining it. But when you use this code later on, look carefully at the industry stats to make sure you are using the right code.

1. Under "select a database to search," pull down "U.S. Business."
2. In the search box QUICK SEARCH / COMPANY NAME, type the name of a company familiar to you that is in your industry.  
3. Click SEARCH NOW. 
4. When the list of company names comes up, choose a company name and click to get the company's record. 
5. Scroll down the record to find a list of SIC codes representing the industries in which the company does business.
   
   E X A M P L E :
   Reference USA adds extra digits to SIC codes to enhance searching in the Reference USA database.  For example, Reference USA gives the industry, Farm Equipment Wholesale, the SIC code of 5083-10; however the actual SIC code is just 5083.

Company and Industry Research Tutorial

This tutorial (by Ellen Truax) shows how to get started with company and industry research.

The tutorial contains a section on how to use NAICS code searching in Business & Company Resource Center, ABI, and Business Source Complete:
http://www.library.unt.edu/ris/tutorials/industry-company-research/how-to-use-the-naics-code-search/