How we know who owns a company
We only label a company when we can link to evidence. Every company page shows its sources and a “How we know” line.
| Status | What it takes |
|---|---|
| PE-owned | A press release, news article or filing showing a private equity–backed platform bought it. |
| Corporate-owned Investor-owned Investor-backed | A public source naming the corporate parent or investor. |
| Franchise | The company is a franchise location. We name the brand and its owner. |
| Likely independent* | Self-described family/locally owned; not yet owner-verified. The company site or BBB profile names a family or individual owner and our search found no acquisition. |
| Verified independent | Owner-confirmed through an Ohio license check, Ohio Secretary of State filing and owner interview. No company has this status yet. |
| Unknown | Not enough public evidence yet. |
Sources we use
- Acquirer press releases and trade press (ACHR News, Contracting Business)
- Company About pages and BBB business profiles, including “Date of New Ownership” and alternate names
- Ohio Secretary of State business records and OCILB license lookups (planned for every entry before launch)
Limits
Buyers often keep the old name and the “family-owned” wording, so a self-description is weak evidence. One example: Fire & Ice is still called locally owned on local lists, but its BBB profile shows new ownership in June 2025 under a Bassett/Ohio Service Partners name. That is why “likely” is never the same as verified. Report an error.