How Reliable is IndustrySelect Data?

When evaluating a sales and marketing database, one of the most important questions is: how fresh is the data? Outdated or incomplete information wastes time, leads to bounced emails, and can derail outreach campaigns. At IndustrySelect, accuracy is our foundation.

Backed by over 110+ years of research expertise, IndustrySelect follows the most rigorous verification processes in the industry. Here’s how it works and why it matters to you.

Why Data Accuracy Matters

Sales and marketing teams depend on reliable data to reach the right contacts. If a database is outdated, you risk:

• Wasted effort on inactive companies or closed plants
• Emails that bounce or phone calls that don’t connect
• Missed opportunities with decision-makers who have changed roles

Unfortunately, many providers rely on scraping websites, automated guessing, or self-reported submissions. The result? Stale data that leaves your team chasing bad leads.

The Reality of Data Decay

Business contact data doesn’t stay accurate for long. In fact, one study that tracked 1,000 business cards found that over 70% contained changes within just 12 months. That means nearly three-quarters of your carefully built contact list could be outdated in less than a year.

The biggest culprit? Job changes. Roughly 66% of individuals had shifts in their titles, responsibilities, or even moved to entirely new companies. For sales and marketing teams, that translates to bounced emails, wasted calls, and missed opportunities if your database isn’t continuously updated.

How IndustrySelect Data Is Verified

Since the debut of its flagship publication, the Illinois Manufacturers Directory in 1912, MNI (Manufacturers’ News, Inc.) has been the authority in industrial business data, expanding over the decades to publish comprehensive business profiles of industrial companies nationwide. Today, MNI harnesses that legacy with a rigorous, hands-on research process that fuels every profile in the IndustrySelect database.

IndustrySelect profiles go beyond just names and numbers. The records include:

• Contact Information: Address, phone number, website, email addresses.
• Executive Data: Names, titles, and direct contact information for key decision-makers.
• Firmographics: Products manufactured, detailed business descriptions, SIC/NAICS codes, square footage, employee count, annual sales, distribution reach, and more.
• Relationship Data: Exclusive corporate family trees showing parent companies, divisions, and subsidiaries.
• Intent Data: Insights into product demand, buyer trends, and other exclusive first-party data.

Click the image below to see this full sample profile:

Given the sheer amount of information we collect—company contacts, executive details, firmographics, corporate relationships, and even buyer intent—you might wonder: how is all of this actually verified and kept accurate? That’s where IndustrySelect stands apart. Rather than relying on scraped or self-reported data, every record goes through a rigorous, multi-step verification process led by our in-house research team:

Direct Outreach

Our 80-person research team personally contacts every company by phone, email, and direct mail. In total, more than two million pieces of mail are sent, one million phone calls placed, and three million emails go out to ensure the accuracy and completeness of our company profiles.

Comprehensive Review

Researchers directly confirm 40+ data points, including executive names and titles, direct emails, plant size, employment, annual sales, square footage, products manufactured, and more. See a sample profile to get a sense of the breadth of company data.

Continuous Updates

Records are updated as changes are verified.

New Entries & Removals

New businesses are added as soon as they’re identified, and closed companies are promptly removed.

At IndustrySelect, accuracy isn’t left to chance (or to bots). Our data quality is the result of a dedicated in-house research team combined with proprietary verification methods. Here’s how it works:

The Team Behind the Data

• Fact Checkers – The backbone of our research, making more than one million phone calls each year to verify company records directly.
• Quality Control Specialists – Real people who review every profile, resolving inconsistencies and ensuring completeness.
• Developers – Building and maintaining the systems that organize and process millions of data points flowing through our pipeline annually.
• Copy Editors – Ensuring every profile is accurate, consistent, and polished according to strict style and quality standards.

The Verification Method

• Direct Contact: Companies are contacted directly by phone.
• Smart Verification: Proprietary technologies authenticate company profiles for accuracy and quality.
• Email Updates: Companies are contacted multiple times per year by email to confirm details.
• Web Research: Expert analysts research companies online to capture the latest information.

Deliverability & Ongoing Checks

We don’t just verify once, we verify continuously.

• Weekly Address Checks: Every address is Delivery Point Validated (DPV) and CASS Certified for USPS compliance.
• Quarterly Relocation Checks: Every company is processed through the National Change of Address (NCOA) database.
• Quarterly Supplemental Mailings: MNI mails every company in the database to track returns and remove bad addresses before customers encounter them.
• Biannual Email Verification: Every executive email is run through multiple third-party verification services—up to five checks in total—to ensure deliverability.

This human-first approach is rare in an era when many platforms have shifted to automation. The difference is clear: IndustrySelect data is accurate, current, and dependable.

Here’s what that means for you:

• The executive contact you see in IndustrySelect is far more likely to still be in that role.
• Plant size, production details, and markets served reflect current operations.
• Your outreach campaigns are built on verified, up-to-date lists (not guesswork).

To get a detailed look at exactly how MNI’s verification process works, see this infographic.

Frequently Asked Questions About IndustrySelect Data Accuracy

Q: How often is IndustrySelect data updated?

A: IndustrySelect data is updated on a continuous, rolling basis. Our research team processes tens of thousands of updates each month as companies confirm changes in their details, ensuring that the information you see is always as current as possible.

Q: Is IndustrySelect data verified by real people?

A: Yes. Unlike scraped databases, every company record is verified by trained researchers at MNI. Our fact checkers make more than one million phone calls per year, directly contacting companies to confirm their information.

Q: What steps does IndustrySelect take to ensure data accuracy?

A: Our process includes direct phone verification, follow-up email outreach, online research, and proprietary smart-verification technologies. Quality control specialists review records for consistency, while copy editors ensure accuracy and formatting before publication.

Q: What happens when a company changes address, closes, or relocates?

A: All company records are run through the USPS National Change of Address (NCOA) database quarterly, and addresses are validated weekly with USPS DPV and CASS certification. Businesses that close are removed, and relocations are updated promptly.

Q: How does IndustrySelect verify executive emails and contact details?

A: Executive email addresses are verified through a multi-step process. Each email passes through up to three third-party verification checks. If undeliverable, it’s tested again with two additional services. This means every email address is checked up to five times per year.

Q: Who is responsible for verifying IndustrySelect data?

A: IndustrySelect relies on a dedicated team of researchers: fact checkers, quality control specialists, developers, and copy editors. Each plays a role in verifying, reconciling, and publishing company information.

Q: How many companies does IndustrySelect contact each year?

A: Our team makes over one million phone calls annually to directly confirm the company and executive information for 360,000+ U.S. industrial companies.

Q: Does IndustrySelect use automation or manual research?

A: Both. We combine manual verification by trained researchers with proprietary smart-verification technology to achieve unmatched accuracy.

Q: What kinds of information are included in an IndustrySelect profile?

A: Each profile includes company contact details, executive data, firmographics, corporate relationships, buyer intent insights, and more.

Q: Does IndustrySelect provide executive-level contact data?

A: Yes. Profiles include executive names, titles, and direct contact details (including emails), making it easier to reach decision-makers.

Q: What firmographic details are verified (employees, sales, plant size)?

A: Firmographic data includes employee counts, annual sales, SIC/NAICS codes, plant square footage, products manufactured, and markets served.

Q: Can IndustrySelect show company relationships or corporate family trees?

A: Yes. Our exclusive family tree data maps parent companies, divisions, and subsidiaries so you can understand corporate relationships at a glance.

Q: Does IndustrySelect provide buyer intent data?

A: Yes. Exclusive buyer interest data provides insights into product demand and industry trends.

Q: How does IndustrySelect ensure mailing addresses are accurate?

A: Every address is Delivery Point Validated (DPV) and CASS Certified weekly, guaranteeing that addresses are deliverable and USPS-compliant.

Q: How often are email addresses re-verified?

A: Every executive email address is checked twice annually and goes through multiple third-party services to ensure deliverability.

Q: What systems are in place to remove outdated or bad data?

A: MNI performs quarterly relocation checks, supplemental direct mailings, and ongoing phone/email verification. Outdated contacts are flagged and removed before customers ever encounter them.

Q: How does IndustrySelect compare to other databases like ZoomInfo or D&B Hoovers?

A: While others rely on scraping or self-reported data, IndustrySelect combines 110+ years of human-verified research with modern technology. This ensures both depth (rich profiles) and reliability (real-time updates).

Q: Why is IndustrySelect data more reliable than scraped or self-reported sources?

A: Scraped data can be outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate. IndustrySelect is human-verified at the source and continuously updated, making it the most trusted resource for industrial sales and marketing teams.

The Bottom Line

When you log into IndustrySelect, you’re not just accessing a list, you’re working with the most accurate, up-to-date industrial company data available anywhere.

That means:

• No more wasted time on outdated leads
• Stronger connections with decision-makers
• Outreach campaigns built on confidence and trust

If accuracy matters to your business (and it should), IndustrySelect delivers.

Ready to see it for yourself? Try a free demo account today and explore 500 real company profiles, verified and ready to use.