History
As early as July 20, 1841, Dun & Bradstreet, then known as The Mercantile Agency opened its doors in New York and began a business information revolution. As of December 2016, Dun & Bradstreet Benelux has been transferred to the Altares Group and is known as Altares Benelux.
Altares announces acquisition of Companyweb
Altares Dun & Bradstreet has strengthened its position in the Benelux with the acquisition of Companyweb. This expands the company's services to the SME segment in Belgium, with a focus on business and credit information.
Smart Profile continues under the flag of Altares Dun & Bradstreet
Smart Profile, specializing in data for the Automotive and IT sectors, is relaunching under Altares Dun & Bradstreet. The partnership strengthens both parties, while maintaining familiar services and customer service.
D&B Credit evolves into Finance Analytics
Finance Analytics - the intelligent Credit Risk platform for modern credit teams.
Altares strengthens market position with acquisition Olbico
Olbico has been acquired to strengthen its position in the MDM market. This acquisition builds on a successful partnership since 2010 and provides customers with enhanced data linkages.
Altares strengthens KYC processes with acquisition of Invoxis
Invoxis, which specializes in data optimization and visualization for KYC processes, has been acquired. This move builds on Invoxis' expertise in NLP technology, achieving more efficient KYC and AML processes.
Dun & Bradstreet launches D&B Credit
A global cloud-based solution that enables companies to manage risk, drive growth and achieve business integration. Featuring unparalleled business credit scoring and analytics using the world's largest commercial database.
Dun & Bradstreet launches new D&B Direct+ API
An all-new lightning-fast integration service that streams Dun & Bradstreet's global data and analytics directly into business applications.
Dataxess CRM
A master data solution for both Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics that allows customers to match, enrich and maintain their customer data in their CRM.
Dun & Bradstreet is selling its interests in the branches in Belgium and the Netherlands to the French company Altares. It has previously done so in other countries such as Germany, Scandinavia (Bisnode) and Spain (Informa).
Dun & Bradstreet believes that local, independent partners have more clout. The Benelux offices have used the name 'Altares Dun & Bradstreet' since 2016.
Dun & Bradstreet new corporate identity, logo and identity
CEO Bob Carrigan kwam naar Dun & Bradstreet in oktober 2013 met een visie om duurzame groei op lange termijn te realiseren en alle aspecten van het bedrijf te moderniseren. Carrigan leidt die visie met een verreikende merkmodernisering die zal worden geïmplementeerd in de producten en oplossingen van Dun & Bradstreet.
Dun & Bradstreet's history played an important role in its brand modernization efforts. It began with an exploratory trip to Harvard University's Baker Library, where the R.G. Dun & Co. and Dun & Bradstreet Collections, are gathered. This vast archive contains Dun & Bradstreet's earliest creditor books and trade reports.
The inspiration gained from the archive has been the basis for Dun & Bradstreet's new brand identity.
Dun & Bradstreet's history played an important role in its brand modernization efforts. It began with an exploratory trip to Harvard University's Baker Library, where the R.G. Dun & Co. and Dun & Bradstreet Collections, are gathered. This vast archive contains Dun & Bradstreet's earliest creditor books and trade reports.
The inspiration gained from the archive has been the basis for Dun & Bradstreet's new brand identity.
Dun & Bradstreet Netherlands moved
Dun & Bradstreet Netherlands moved to Montevideo Offices in Rotterdam.
Manageo is acquired by Altares
As a specialist in online B2B data, Manageo helps optimize companies' revenue growth by managing their online data and marketing campaign strategy (SEO, content marketing, programmatic marketing, email and more)
Altares was created in 2006 through the merger of BIL (Base d'Infos Légales) and D&B France.
Since then, the company continued to grow while maintaining its connection with Dun & Bradstreet. Altares is part of the global D&B network. Where it is often praised for its data innovations and applications across a variety of industries.
Dun & Bradstreet launches DNBi in the Americas
DNBi is a web-based platform that transforms the effectiveness of credit management. Powerful yet flexible, DNBi can be easily adapted to the way customers work. Users have instant access to the information they need.
Dun & Bradstreet launches DUNSright
Dun & Bradstreet launches new corporate identity and logo
Dun & Bradstreet acquires iMarket Inc
The acquisition, known for its award-winning CD-ROM marketing data products, strengthens Dun & Bradstreet's ability to provide marketing solutions to small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, iMarket's data sources enhance Dun & Bradstreet's own database, which is already world-class.
"iMarket's Internet and desktop solutions will help us capture our small business opportunities by broadening our offerings to small and medium-sized customers. Dun & Bradstreet also plans to use the zapdata.com (now Hoovers) tool to further migrate our business to the web." Says Allan Loren, Dun & Bradstreet Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President.
Dun & Bradstreet acquires A.C. Nielsen
Nielsen's unmatched status as a leader in marketing research caught the attention of Dun & Bradstreet Corporation. Arthur C. Nielsen Jr. eventually sold A.C. Nielsen for $1.3 billion.
Actually, the two companies had been considering such a merger for more than 15 years, as Nielsen and Harrington Drake, chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet, told the New York Times. 'We both have the ability to collect a lot of data and deliver it efficiently to customers,' Nielsen explained. 'I'm sure Nielsen will use both our technology and our databases,' Drake added.
Dun & Bradstreet Develops DUNSnet
The company's telephone network.
Dun & Bradstreet produces first generated financial report on a 'mini-computer'
Dun & Bradstreet publishes its first publication based on a digital database. Unique at the time
Dun & Bradstreet introduces the Data Universal Numbering System (D-U-N-S).
Competitor Moody's is also being acquired.
Dun & Bradstreet moved to new home at 99 Church Street in New York next to St. Peters Catholic Church
In 1933 - Merger of former archrivals R.G. Dun & Co and John M. Bradstreet Company to form Dun & Bradstreet
In the 1930s, the effects of the rivalry and of the economic depression on both companies could no longer be ignored. In 1933, former archrivals R.G. Dun & Co and John M. Bradstreet Company merged to form Dun & Bradstreet.
The merger was led by Arthur Whiteside, CEO of R.G. Duns & Co. Thanks to his excellent diplomatic skills, Whiteside was able to strike a deal with the company's biggest competitor. Where previously both companies sold "products," Whiteside began to place more and more emphasis on service. With great leadership, he led D&B out of the Depression and into the information age.
Stans Grijseels starts at Dun & Bradstreet in Rotterdam
Stans Grijseels starts at Dun & Bradstreet in Rotterdam. This is also the year that the Rotterdam branch is opened. He's still going strong!
R.G. Dun & Company opens first branch in Amsterdam
Later, several branches will follow in Tilburg, Almelo, Haarlem, The Hague and two branches in Rotterdam, respectively.
John Moody introduces a series of industry manuals and eventually starts Moody's Investor Service in 1914
A photo of The R.G. Dun Building in New York.
It was one of the first buildings with elevators and air conditioning.
The office of R.G. Dun & Company at 618 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia in 1870
Robert Graham Dun invests as much as $15,000 in a new corporate printing facility
This allows R.G. Dun & Company to publish the Dun Reference Book every six months.
In 1859 Douglass turned the agency over to his brother-in-law Robert Graham Dun
Under the new name, R.G. Dun & Company, Dun continued to expand. Dun led the company for over 40 years. Under his leadership, the company expanded throughout the United States. It also went beyond national borders.
A strong competitor - and a new player
In 1849, the rival John M. Bradstreet Company was founded in Cincinnati, Ohio. Two years later, the Bradstreet organization launched the use of credit ratings with the publication of the first book of commercial ratings. The rivalry between The John M. Bradstreet Company and Douglass' agency increased as the U.S. entered the 20th century. Fundamentally, this had lasting effects on the fate of the two organizations.
To encourage expansion, in 1849 Tappan turned the agency over to Benjamin Douglass
A former clerk. Douglass took advantage of the improved transportation and communications of his day by expanding his network of offices, which allowed the Agency to offer both new clients and excellent information.
Some of those correspondents even went on to become presidents of America: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland and William McKinley.
Mercantile Agency
To assist American merchants in their decision-making, in 1841 an enterprising businessman named Lewis Tappan (b. 1788) began to establish a network of correspondents who would act as a source of reliable and objective credit information. His Mercantile Agency, based in New York City, was one of the first organizations to focus exclusively on providing business information to customers
