First, you'll want information on the industry and its major corporate players. See the "Industry Profiles & Market Research" tab of this guide. You may also want information on financial "norms" for a company operating within your industry. See the "Industry Statistics & Ratios" tab of this guide.
Articles in the business press are likely to give you insights into a industry's current outlook, trends, major players and factors such as legislation that might impact industry operations. The library subscribes to several databases in which you'll find articles from newspapers, magazines and journals that cover business topics. See the "Articles" tab of this guide.
Many industries have one or more trade or professional association devoted to promoting the interests of its members. They are often excellent sources of data about the industry, although of course you must consider the possibility of bias in the way information is presented. Major industry associations will also be mentioned in articles. See the "Websites" tab of this guide.
The US government collects and publishes statistics about many aspects of business. For example, the Bureau of Economic Analysis measures GDP by industry and the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes information about employment and wages by industry. See the "Industry Statistics" tab of this guide.
Consult with a librarian for suggestions on other sources that may be relevant to the industry or device you are investigating.