| The distinguishing characteristic of an | | | | Stainless Steel, Wire Forms,... |
| industrial directory is that it lists | | | | |
| products, services and suppliers needed by | | | | - Plant & Facility Equipment: Electric |
| industries, rather than by final consumers. | | | | Heaters, Nameplates, Noise Control,... |
| These would be mainly such intermediate | | | | |
| products as automation equipment, CNC | | | | - Plastics & Rubber: Injection Molded |
| machining, transformers, advertising | | | | Plastics, Extruded Plastics, Molded Rubber |
| novelties, engineering services, leak | | | | Goods,... |
| detectors and a large variety of others. | | | | |
| These intermediate products are used in | | | | - Process Equipment: Heat Exchangers, |
| making consumer products, or major projects | | | | Pressure Vessels, Mixers,... |
| such as space and ocean going ships, public | | | | |
| utilities, defense requirements and so on. | | | | - Pumps, Valves & Accessories: Ball Valves, |
| | | | Plastic Tubing, Pumps,... |
| While a few consumer products or dual use | | | | |
| products might be listed, the emphasis in the | | | | - Other: Signs, Point Of Purchase Displays, |
| industrial directories is on industrial | | | | Banners,... |
| products and services needed by other | | | | |
| industries. | | | | (Source: Thomas Register) |
| | | | |
| The range of such products and services is | | | | Other industrial directories might adopt a |
| huge and varied, and good industrial | | | | different scheme of categorization. With the |
| directories tend to be substantial | | | | huge range of products and services, |
| repositories. | | | | different ways of arranging them might meet |
| | | | the preference of different users using them |
| Sample Categories in an Industrial Directory | | | | with different orientations. |
| | | | |
| The list below, taken from a reputed | | | | Global and Regional Directories |
| industrial directory, illustrates the wide | | | | |
| range of industrial products and industrial | | | | Global industrial directories list industrial |
| services. | | | | products and suppliers from all over the |
| | | | world. Considering that countries have |
| - Adhesives & Sealants: Adhesives, Pressure | | | | different resources and cost structures, such |
| Sensitive Tapes, Adhesive Dispensing | | | | a register could help industries find the |
| Equipment,... | | | | best products suited to their requirements, |
| | | | and also the best bargains. For example, some |
| - Automation & Electronics: Automation | | | | countries might be rich in certain minerals |
| Equipment, Printed Circuit Boards, Clean | | | | and metals, and these might give them an |
| rooms,... | | | | advantage to produce certain kinds of |
| | | | industrial supplies. Other countries might |
| - Chemicals: Desiccants, Corrosion Resistant | | | | have low labor costs enabling them to make |
| Coatings, Teflon Coatings,... | | | | the same products made by developed countries |
| | | | at lower costs. |
| - Custom Manufacturing & Fabricating: Metal | | | | |
| Fabrication, CNC Machining, Metal | | | | Regional industrial directories seek to |
| Stampings,... | | | | promote local industries by listing only the |
| | | | suppliers located in particular regions. The |
| - Electrical and Power Generation: | | | | major objectives in these cases is industrial |
| Transformers, Batteries, Magnets,... | | | | promotion rather than helping buyers find the |
| | | | best bargains. |
| - Services: Advertising Novelties, Machinery | | | | |
| Rebuilders, Pump Repair Services,... | | | | Conclusion |
| | | | |
| - Engineering & Consulting: Engineering | | | | An industrial directory focuses on products |
| Services, Prototypes, Exporters, | | | | and services needed by industries. The range |
| Importers,... | | | | of such industrial products is huge and |
| | | | varied. We looked at a sample of industrial |
| - Hardware: Fasteners, Gaskets, Bolts,... | | | | products and services in this article. |
| | | | |
| - Instruments & Controls: Laboratory | | | | Industrial products are typically |
| Equipment & Supplies, Flow Meters, | | | | intermediate products that help produce |
| Sensors,... | | | | consumer products or products such as space |
| | | | ships, ocean-going ships, and such |
| - Machinery, Tools & Supplies: Special & | | | | non-consumer final products. |
| Custom Machinery, Bearings, Gears,... | | | | |
| | | | There are some reputed industrial directories |
| - Materials Handling: Material Handling | | | | that list industrial products, services and |
| Equipment, Labels, Plastic Bags,... | | | | suppliers from all over the world, and other |
| | | | directories that focus on industries in a |
| - Metals & Metal Products: Aluminum, | | | | particular region. |