R.L. Polk & Company
| Company type | Private (before acquisition) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Data publishing, business and marketing intelligence |
| Founded | 1 January 1870 in Detroit, Michigan, United States |
| Founder | Ralph Lane Polk |
| Defunct | 2013 |
| Fate | Acquired by IHS Markit in 2013 |
| Successor | IHS Markit |
| Headquarters | Southfield , United States |
Area served | Worldwide (including Canada, Germany, UK, France, Japan, China, Australia) |
Key people | Ralph Lane Polk II (noted leader) |
| Products | PolkInsight, National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP), Blackburn / Polk Marketing Services Inc. (BPMSI), Polk Dealer Marketing Manager, The Ultimate Perspective (T.U.P), Polk Canada Net, Polk Vehicle Lifecycle System, Polk CrossSell Reports, Polk Total Market Predictor (Polk TMP), Carfax |
| Owner | IHS Markit (from 2013), later S&P Global (from 2022) |
| Parent | IHS Markit (2013–2022), S&P Global (2022–present) |
R. L. Polk & Company was a data publishing enterprise focused on delivering business and marketing intelligence primarily for the automotive sector, insurance firms, and associated industries. Based in Southfield, Michigan, the company maintained a worldwide presence with offices located in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Japan, China, and Australia. Its suite of products featured PolkInsight, National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP), Blackburn / Polk Marketing Services Inc. (BPMSI), Polk Dealer Marketing Manager, The Ultimate Perspective (T.U.P), Polk Canada Net, Polk Vehicle Lifecycle System, Polk CrossSell Reports, and Polk Total Market Predictor (Polk TMP). Beginning in 1999, Polk owned the vehicle history service Carfax.
In 2013, IHS Markit acquired Polk, which itself was later purchased by S&P Global in 2022.
Company history
Established in 1870 in Detroit by founder Ralph Lane Polk, R. L. Polk & Company originally specialized in publishing business directories. By 1872, the company produced directories detailing residents and post offices across various states and had expanded its directory count to approximately 1,000 by 1960. Among its affiliates was the Polk-Husted Directory Co. based in Oakland, California. These directories contained comprehensive listings of individuals and businesses by name and address and included banking directories as well.
By 1907, Polk was producing extensive Gazetteer Business directories covering multiple states such as Michigan (including Windsor and Walkerville in Ontario), California, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, among others.
A significant turning point came in 1921 when Ralph Lane Polk II collaborated with Alfred P. Sloan of General Motors to create unbiased automotive statistics. This partnership led to R.L. Polk entering the automotive data industry with its inaugural car registration reports released in 1922, encompassing 58 vehicle makes and tracking 9.2 million passenger cars on U.S. roads.
From 1951 to 1958, the company enhanced its data processing by implementing electronic punch card tabulation technology. By 1956, its reporting scope had expanded to include monthly data on boats, business aircraft, motorcycles, commercial trailers, and recreational vehicles. The introduction of the National Vehicle Population Profile (NVPP) in 1976 became a cornerstone product for automotive market analysis and forecasting.
Expansion at the turn of the century and ownership changes
In 1993, Polk merged its Canadian operations with Blackburn Marketing Services forming Blackburn/Polk Marketing Services Inc. (BPMSI) and obtained a 35% ownership interest in Carfax. By 1996, Polk had fully acquired Blackburn/Polk and rebranded it as Polk Canada Marketing Services Inc. (PCMSI). The following year, in 1997, Polk expanded further by acquiring the MSS division from Automatic Data Processing’s European branch.
In 1999, Advertising Unlimited, Inc., a subsidiary of Polk, was sold to Norwood Promotional Products. Later that same year marked Polk’s complete acquisition of Carfax, having previously held a minority stake alongside Blackburn Group. Carfax utilizes Polk’s extensive data to provide vehicle history reports based on VINs, offering used-car buyers essential information such as ownership details and odometer readings.
The year 2000 saw Polk divest its Consumer Information Solutions (CIS) segment—including Direct Marketing and Data Information Services—to Equifax. Concurrently, the company launched new offerings like Garage Predictors and Polk Canada Net while acquiring Marketing Systems Group to bolster its market presence.
Founder Ralph Lane Polk II earned distinguished honors with inductions into both the Automotive Hall of Fame (2001) and The Direct Marketing Association Hall of Fame (2002), recognizing his visionary leadership and contributions to business growth.
Polk continued to innovate by introducing the Vehicle Lifecycle System and Polk Cross Sell in 2002 followed by launches of PolkInsight and the Total Market Predictor (TMP) in 2003. In 2004, R. L. Polk & Company formed RLPTechnologies as a subsidiary and achieved a Level II CMMI certification from the Software Engineering Institute—demonstrating a commitment to superior process management.
In 2005, the company inaugurated the Polk Inventory Efficiency Award aimed at honoring aftermarket organizations enhancing inventory control.
Polk acquired a majority interest in ROADTODATA in 2007 to expand its offerings with automotive pricing and specification data.
By 2010, R. L. Polk & Company had entered into a partnership with Citytwist to augment its data analytics capabilities.
Ultimately, in 2013 IHS Markit purchased R.L. Polk for $1.4 billion, integrating its vast automotive data resources into a comprehensive global information services platform.
See also
Further reading
External links
- Internet Archive. Publications by R.L. Polk & Co.
- Hathi Trust. Materials associated with R.L. Polk & Co.
- OCLC WorldCat. Works connected to R.L. Polk & Co.
- Articles with short description
- Companies based in Detroit
- Directories
- Publishing companies established in 1870
- American companies established in 1870
- 2013 mergers and acquisitions
- Publishing companies disestablished in 2013
- 2013 disestablishments in Michigan
- 1870 establishments in Michigan
- City directories
- 4
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment