Welcome to the online Sourcebook, the searchable, updatable, Internet-based counterpart to CompositesWorld's annually published print Sourcebook. In print and here online, we've gathered composites industry suppliers, manufacturers and service companies into a comprehensive directory for the entire composites industry. More than 1,850 composites industry suppliers are listed for 2009, making this edition the the industry's most authoritative and reliable buyer's directory.

Sourcebook 2009 is divided into five sections: a comprehensive Industry Overview, a compilation of Industry Organizations, a Glossary of Terms and the heart of the directory — our Index to Products and Services and Alphabetical Directory of Suppliers.

The Industry Overview is updated annually to keep it current and now is presented in two parts: Part I surveys the broad range of composite materials and processing technologies now available to composites manufacturers. It also reviews design considerations, tooling options and a wealth of other data that, over the years, have made the Industry Overview required reading for new employees at many composites manufacturing facilities. Part II examines the current state and future possibilities of the many diverse markets served by composites manufacturers (see "Learn More"). 

The Glossary of Terms provides just that — definitions for many technical terms and acronyms, particularly those unique to the composites industry. Our updated list of Industry Organizations offers the most complete information available on pertinent trade and technical associations that serve the global industry. These can be accessed under "Reference" on the CompositesWorld Home Page.

The Index to Products and Services listings in the print Sourcebook are duplicated here online. Suppliers and service companies are listed in more than 500 product, material, equipment and service categories, listing the supplier company names and phone numbers — a resource unavailable anywhere else in the industry. The online listings are searchable by product/service category. You'll find all the companies who supply each product or service listed in alpha order.  Click on any company name and you'll be virtually transported to that firm’s Web-based Showroom.

Each Showroom provides detailed information about the comany, including contact names, phone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses, Web URLs and a description of each supplier’s products and/or services. From within each company Showroom, you can hyperlink directly to a supplier’s Web site or e-mail the supplier your request for additional information about its products or services. Also, the Web listing for each company offers expanded data for sales offices and sales and engineering contacts. Where applicable, contact information also is available for as many as five additional sales offices. Additionally, the online Index to Products and Services provides an expanded list of subcategories in the Fabricating Services section and an extensively enhanced set of specific subcategories in the Materials section in our Prepregs, Reinforcements and Fabrics listings.

Looking for a particular company? Just below the Product/Service Index, Showrooms may be accessed directly from our Alphabetical Listing of supplier companieson the Sourcebook Home Page. Or you may key all or part of the company name into the "search" function at the top right corner of the Sourcebook Home Page.

We hope the Sourcebook will contribute to your success in 2009. To ensure that our print and online editions continue to serve you well in the future, we need your feedback. Send your Sourcebook suggestions to me at jeff@compositesworld.com.