jack@rml.UUCP (jack hagerty) (06/21/91)
In article <1991Jun20.001325.24030@iplmail.orl.mmc.com> kevink@iplmail.orl.mmc.com (Kevin Kreeger) writes: >I'm not sure where you can get this material, but I had a problem >finding a material a few months ago... > >I received help from something called the Thompson Register. >Apparently it is a list of *every*(?) manufacturing company >also cross-referenced by *everything*(?) they manufacture. The name of the books are the *Thomas* Register and it is a subscription listing (i.e. the companies listed pay to be included) of a vast number of products and services available from North American companies. They are constantly soliciting new entries as well. >I found it at the local library in the reference section. >However I could not decipher my way through it. It is definetely an acquired skill. The listings are very dense and the catagories are not, necessarily, intuititively obvious. Once you learn the system, though, you can do amazing things. Example: earlier this week I had to find a way of spray washing organic waste products out of a 200 liter container. A half hour with the Register and I had found several likely companies. An equal time on the phone and I had a dozen or so faxed pages of material to bring to my customer meeting. I also discovered that one of the companies had a local rep where I was able to stop on the way to the meeting and pick up a full catalog and a sample of a rotating spray nozzle (normally used to wash down aircraft lavatory holding tanks...yuk) to bring as well. From not having a clue of how to do the job at 10 AM to bringing a ton of info and a sample device to the afternoon meeting. A powerful system! >The number to the place is (212) 290-7262 and ask for the >information center, they were extremely helpful. This was worth another plug. >I'm not sure who funds this entity (for lack of a better word), >whether it's advertising to the companies listed, of government >or what, but I got the impression that it wasnt advertising >because everything was listed and cross-referenced. As I said above, the companies listed pay to be there plus the printing and shipping costs are borne by the institutions that buy them. The complete set is up to 25 volumes and costs roughly $250. A hell of a deal for the time and effort they save. They are to be found in the engineering and purchacing departments of any company worth its salt plus, as you found, libraries and schools too. I have a set for my little one man shop here and find it indespensable. >Anyway, hope that helps, I know I'm keeping the number handy for >next time I'm looking for a material. Ah, another convert :-) - Jack P.S. I hope no one gets too bent out of shape over the above gushing. I have no connection with the Thomas Register company other than being a satisfied user and I hope this is not considered a commercial plug. It just seems that nearly every article in this group begins with "Where can I find a..." so it's very appropriate. Now you know where. ============================================================================= ||Jack Hagerty, Robotic Midwives, Ltd. jack@rml.UUCP (smart mailers)|| ||Livermore, CA ...!uunet!lll-winken!rml!jack (dumb mailers)|| ||(415) 455-1143 jack%rml@lll-winken.llnl.gov (desperate mailers)|| ||-------------------------------------------------------------------------|| || "The Biblical God is a sloppy manufacturer. He's not good at design, || || He's not good at execution. He'd be out of business if there was || || any competition." - Carl Sagan, _Contact_ || =============================================================================