The Rise of Multiunit Firms in U.S. Manufacturing

The modern multiunit enterprise has been touted by historians and economic historians as a major and important phase of organizational change and a significant source of growth. However, no systematic record of the prevalence and patterns of multiunit activity has yet been established. This paper provides a systematic record of the rise and spread of the multiunit firm and examines the causes of its rise in U.S. manufacturing using data from the census bureau's enterprise statistics and other census sources.