Text Box: ReferenceUSA 
Text Box: Lifelong
Learning
Through
The Libraries 


What is Reference USA? 

 

Reference USA is a directory database that contains 
contact information, estimated sales, number of 
employees, credit rating, and the ticker symbol of over 
12 million U.S. businesses and organizations. The 
database is updated monthly and is available only 
through the public workstations in Ekstrom Library. 

 

How do I get to Reference USA? 

 

1. Through the web browser, locate the UofL Libraries’ 
main page at: http://library.louisville.edu/. 
2. Click on the Article Databases by Topic link. 
3. Under Resources by Topic, click on Business & 
Public Administration and scroll to Reference USA. 
It is also available under the All Databases A-Z link. 
4. When Reference USA opens, click on the box with 
the red arrow next to Business Database. 





How do I search Reference USA? 

 

Reference USA offers two search options: Quick Search 
and Custom Search. 

 

Quick Search 

• Using quick search, you may search by 
using any of the following criteria: 
Company Name, City, State, or Phone 
number. 





 

• The asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard when 
searching for company name. 
• SEARCH STEPS: Enter desired 
information, then click Search Now. 





Custom Search 

• The custom search option lets you create a search 
form based on the criteria that you select. The 
criteria are organized into 6 categories: Company, 
Yellow Pages, Geography Selects, Phone Selects, 
Business Data, and Special Selects. 


 




 

 

• The asterisk (*) can be used as a wildcard when 
searching for company name. 
• SEARCH STEPS: 
o After selecting the desired criteria, 
click Create Search Form. 
o Enter information into your search 
form, or narrow your search by 
using the search criteria menu on 
the left-hand side of the screen. 
(If this menu is used, click New 
Search Form before entering new 
information.) 
o After narrowing your search, click 
Search Now. 
o A search refinement screen may 
appear if additional information is needed 







What can I do with the results? 

 

If a state was not specified in the search, the results will 
be displayed in alphabetic order using the state’s 
abbreviation. If a state was specified, the results will be 
listed alphabetically by city. The linkage column in the 
results screen defines the relationship between parent 
companies, subsidiaries and branches. 

 



• The up arrow will link to the parent company or 
U.S. headquarters. 
• The down arrow identifies that business as a parent 
company and links to the branch 
locations or subsidiaries. 
• Both arrows in the same record identify that 
business as a subsidiary. Clicking on the 
appropriate arrow will link to either the branches or 
the parent company. 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





You may view a single company or multiple companies. 

• To view one company, click on the company name 
(text is blue). 
• To view multiple companies, click in the box next to 
companies you want to view. Then click DETAILS 
to view the detailed listing of your selections. 
• If the company you are looking for is not listed, you 
may select Revise My Criteria or New Search to start 
over. 





Detailed Listing 

Once you have narrowed your search and 

located the desired company or companies, the detailed 
listing screen will provide all data that was submitted by 
that particular company, including SIC and NAICS 
codes. 

 

 

The detailed listing screen includes a search that will 
provide information about other businesses within the 
same area. At the bottom of the screen, select the area 
by limiting to 1/10 mile, 1/2 mile, etc. and then click on 
All Businesses. This will generate a listing of all 
businesses within the radius that you selected. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The detailed listing screen also includes the option of 
viewing a map of the business location. By clicking on 
Map It! at the bottom of the screen link, you will be 
directed to a single-point map through MapQuest. 

 

 

You may print or download up to 50 items per search. 

Check the box to the right of the items you wish to print 
or download and click on the Print or Download button. 

If you choose print you will be given the option of 
printing the summary or the detailed record. The default 
is summary. 

 

If you choose download, you will also be asked to 
choose the file format. The comma delimited is the 
default format and the method that will allow you to 
easily import the information into other applications. 

 

What can I do if I have questions or 
problems? 

 

For more information about Reference USA, click on 
Help in the upper right-hand corner and then select 
Business Data. You may also contact a reference 
librarian for immediate assistance at 852-6747. 

 

 

 

 Decem