A private company is one in which share of ownership are not traded on a public exchange. They may be small neighborhood "ma and pop" companies but they may also be billion dollar enterprises that have decided to remain in private ownership. Private companies are not required to make their financial reports available to the public, which is one of the requirements when one is a public company.
The following databases offer financial information and other information about the companies (years in business, owners, products and services):
