Effects of Size, Industry and Type of Ownership on Business Firm Longevity

Some companies have managed to overcome economic challenges, massive changes in technology, globalization and other socio-cultural transformations to not only survive, but thrive over an extended period of time. Are there certain industries to which these companies belong that are more conducive to long-term survival? Does private ownership or firm size make a difference in a business’s ability to survive over the long term? In this research a data base of U.S. companies over 100 years old is compiled and then compared to the profile of U.S. businesses overall in an attempt to answer these questions