The distinguishing characteristic of an industrial directory is that it lists products, services and suppliers needed by industries, rather than by final consumers. These would be mainly such intermediate products as automation equipment, CNC machining, transformers, advertising novelties, engineering services, leak detectors and a large variety of others. These intermediate products are used in making consumer products, or major projects such as space and ocean going ships, public utilities, defense requirements and so on.

While a few consumer products or dual use products might be listed, the emphasis in the industrial directories is on industrial products and services needed by other industries.

The range of such products and services is huge and varied, and good industrial directories tend to be substantial repositories.

Sample Categories in an Industrial Directory

The list below, taken from a reputed industrial directory, illustrates the wide range of industrial products and industrial services.

• Adhesives & Sealants: Adhesives, Pressure Sensitive Tapes, Adhesive Dispensing Equipment,...


• Automation & Electronics: Automation Equipment, Printed Circuit Boards, Clean rooms,...


• Chemicals: Desiccants, Corrosion Resistant Coatings, Teflon Coatings,...


• Custom Manufacturing & Fabricating: Metal Fabrication, CNC Machining, Metal Stampings,...


• Electrical and Power Generation: Transformers, Batteries, Magnets,...


• Services: Advertising Novelties, Machinery Rebuilders, Pump Repair Services,...


• Engineering & Consulting: Engineering Services, Prototypes, Exporters, Importers,...


• Hardware: Fasteners, Gaskets, Bolts,...


• Instruments & Controls: Laboratory Equipment & Supplies, Flow Meters, Sensors,...


• Machinery, Tools & Supplies: Special & Custom Machinery, Bearings, Gears,...


• Materials Handling: Material Handling Equipment, Labels, Plastic Bags,...


• Metals & Metal Products: Aluminum, Stainless Steel, Wire Forms,...


• Plant & Facility Equipment: Electric Heaters, Nameplates, Noise Control,...


• Plastics & Rubber: Injection Molded Plastics, Extruded Plastics, Molded Rubber Goods,...


• Process Equipment: Heat Exchangers, Pressure Vessels, Mixers,...


• Pumps, Valves & Accessories: Ball Valves, Plastic Tubing, Pumps,...


• Other: Signs, Point Of Purchase Displays, Banners,...

(Source: Thomas Register)

Other industrial directories might adopt a different scheme of categorization. With the huge range of products and services, different ways of arranging them might meet the preference of different users using them with different orientations.

Global and Regional Directories

Global industrial directories list industrial products and suppliers from all over the world. Considering that countries have different resources and cost structures, such a register could help industries find the best products suited to their requirements, and also the best bargains. For example, some countries might be rich in certain minerals and metals, and these might give them an advantage to produce certain kinds of industrial supplies. Other countries might have low labor costs enabling them to make the same products made by developed countries at lower costs.

Regional industrial directories seek to promote local industries by listing only the suppliers located in particular regions. The major objectives in these cases is industrial promotion rather than helping buyers find the best bargains.

Conclusion

An industrial directory focuses on products and services needed by industries. The range of such industrial products is huge and varied. We looked at a sample of industrial products and services in this article.

Industrial products are typically intermediate products that help produce consumer products or products such as space ships, ocean-going ships, and such non-consumer final products.

There are some reputed industrial directories that list industrial products, services and suppliers from all over the world, and other directories that focus on industries in a particular region.