Dex One
Corporate brand
UnclaimedDex One was a U.S. local-search marketing company offering print directories, online and mobile search products, and pay-per-click advertising before merging with SuperMedia in 2013.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Dex One Corporation was an American local-search and advertising company that operated during the transition from traditional telephone directories to digital marketing. Its activities included the publication and sale of printed yellow-pages directories, online local-search services through DexKnows.com, mobile search products, and pay-per-click advertising networks aimed primarily at small and medium-sized businesses in the United States. The company represented the final corporate phase of a directory-publishing business whose roots extended back to the R.H. Donnelley Company, established in 1886 by Reuben H. Donnelley. The predecessor company initially produced telephone directories for the Chicago Telephone Company and later expanded through contracts and joint ventures with telephone operators associated with the Bell System and other regional telecommunications groups. Over time, its directory operations became connected with numerous telephone-company markets and competing directory publishers. R.H. Donnelley became a subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet in 1961. It later developed partnerships and publishing arrangements with companies including United Telephone, NYNEX, Centel, Southwestern Bell, and Ameritech. In the 1990s and 2000s, the business expanded through acquisitions and operating agreements. R.H. Donnelley acquired Sprint Publishing & Advertising in 2003, parts of SBC Communications' directory business in 2004, Dex Media in 2006, Local Launch Search Marketing in 2007, and Business.com later in 2007. The Dex Media acquisition made R.H. Donnelley one of the largest directory publishers in the United States. The business encountered severe financial pressure as consumer and advertiser behavior moved away from printed directories toward internet search and other digital channels. R.H. Donnelley was delisted by the New York Stock Exchange at the end of 2008 after failing to satisfy the exchange's market-capitalization requirement. It subsequently traded over the counter and filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2009. After emerging from bankruptcy on February 1, 2010, the reorganized company adopted the Dex One name and began trading under the ticker DEXO. Dex One attempted to combine its legacy directory operations with digital marketing services, including web, mobile, and pay-per-click offerings. In August 2012, it announced a stock-for-stock merger with SuperMedia, another major U.S. directory and local-marketing company. Dex One entered Chapter 11 proceedings again in March 2013 to facilitate completion of the transaction. The merger closed on April 30, 2013, creating a company known as Dex Media. Dex One therefore ceased to operate as a separate corporate entity. Following later acquisitions and corporate development, the combined business became associated with the Thryv name.
History
Dex One's corporate history descended from the R.H. Donnelley Company, founded in 1886 by Reuben H. Donnelley, the son of R.R. Donnelley founder Richard R. Donnelley. The original business contracted with the Chicago Telephone Company to publish telephone directories for Chicago customers. Beginning in the early twentieth century, it added directory contracts with telephone companies connected to the Bell System, including New York Telephone, Wisconsin Telephone, and Cincinnati Suburban Telephone Company. R.H. Donnelley was incorporated in 1917 and moved its principal corporate base to New York City while retaining offices in Chicago. After Reuben Donnelley's death in 1929, the company continued its directory-publishing activities and expanded its relationships with telephone operators. Dun & Bradstreet acquired R.H. Donnelley as a wholly owned subsidiary in 1961. During the following decades, the business participated in a number of regional directory partnerships, including arrangements with United Telephone, NYNEX, Centel, Southwestern Bell, and Ameritech. These ventures allowed it to publish directories in markets across states such as Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. In 1998, Dun & Bradstreet separated into two companies. One retained the Dun & Bradstreet name, while the other adopted the R.H. Donnelley name. The reorganized R.H. Donnelley pursued an acquisition-led expansion. It purchased Sprint Publishing & Advertising from Sprint in 2003, acquired SBC Communications' directory-publishing operations in Illinois and northwest Indiana in 2004, and completed the purchase of Dex Media in 2006. The SBC transaction also provided a long-term license to use the SBC Yellow Pages name for directories serving SBC Illinois customers; after SBC's combination with AT&T, those directories were marketed as AT&T Yellow Pages published by R.H. Donnelley. The Dex Media acquisition made R.H. Donnelley the third-largest directory publisher in the United States, according to the company's historical account. In 2007, it acquired Local Launch Search Marketing and Business.com, reflecting an effort to move beyond printed directories into internet-based lead generation, search marketing, and business information services. The company's financial position deteriorated as advertisers and consumers increasingly shifted from printed yellow-pages products to online search. On December 31, 2008, the NYSE suspended trading in R.H. Donnelley's shares because the company's market capitalization had remained below the exchange's threshold for 30 consecutive trading days. The stock moved to over-the-counter trading in January 2009 under the RHDC symbol. In June 2009, R.H. Donnelley and its subsidiaries filed for bankruptcy protection. The company emerged from bankruptcy on February 1, 2010, renamed Dex One Corporation. Its common stock returned to the NYSE under the DEXO symbol. Under the Dex One identity, the business marketed print yellow-pages directories alongside DexKnows.com and other online, mobile, and pay-per-click advertising products. This repositioning sought to preserve the value of its established local-business sales network while responding to the migration of local advertising to digital channels. On August 21, 2012, Dex One and SuperMedia announced a stock-for-stock merger. Dex One filed for Chapter 11 protection in March 2013 to support completion of the transaction. The merger closed on April 30, 2013, forming a new Dex Media company and ending Dex One as an independent corporate brand. The combined company's later acquisitions and development led to the business operating under the Thryv name.
- 2013
Dex One merges with SuperMedia
[1]The transaction closes on April 30, creating a new Dex Media business and ending Dex One as a standalone company.
- 2012
SuperMedia merger announced
[1]Dex One and SuperMedia announce a stock-for-stock combination.
- 2010
Company emerges as Dex One
[1]The reorganized company exits bankruptcy with the Dex One name and begins NYSE trading under DEXO.
- 2009
Bankruptcy filing
[1]R.H. Donnelley and its subsidiaries file for bankruptcy protection after financial and market pressures affect the directory business.
- 2007
Digital-marketing acquisitions
[1]The company acquires Local Launch Search Marketing and Business.com, strengthening its online advertising and business-information activities.
- 2006
Dex Media is acquired
[1]R.H. Donnelley completes its acquisition of Dex Media, becoming one of the largest directory publishers in the United States.
- 2004
SBC directory operations are acquired
[1]R.H. Donnelley purchases SBC's directory-publishing business in Illinois and northwest Indiana and receives a long-term SBC Yellow Pages licensing arrangement.
- 2003
Sprint Publishing & Advertising is acquired
[1]R.H. Donnelley acquires Sprint's publishing and advertising business, later associated with EMBARQ Yellow Pages.
- 1998
R.H. Donnelley name is restored
[1]Following the split of Dun & Bradstreet, one successor company adopts the R.H. Donnelley name.
- 1961
Acquisition by Dun & Bradstreet
[1]R.H. Donnelley becomes a wholly owned subsidiary of Dun & Bradstreet.
Products and positioning
A U.S. local-search and small-business advertising provider combining legacy printed yellow-pages distribution with online, mobile, and pay-per-click marketing products.
Online local search
DexKnows.com
DexKnows.com was Dex One's web-based local-search service. It connected users with local businesses and provided a digital channel through which advertisers could promote their services, complementing the company's established printed-directory operations.
Print directory advertising
Dex printed yellow-pages directories
Dex One published and sold printed telephone and yellow-pages directories containing business listings and paid advertising. These products were the historical foundation of the company and remained part of its offering even as the business expanded into online and mobile marketing.
Mobile search
Mobile local search
The company offered mobile-oriented local-search services intended to extend directory and business-discovery functions beyond printed books and desktop websites. The mobile products formed part of Dex One's broader effort to adapt local advertising to changing consumer behavior.
Digital advertising
Pay-per-click advertising networks
Dex One operated pay-per-click advertising capabilities for businesses seeking online leads and visibility. These services represented a performance-oriented digital alternative to traditional directory placements and were marketed alongside the company's online and mobile search offerings.
Brand decisions
2012
Stock-for-stock merger with SuperMediaM&ABackground
Both companies operated in directory publishing and local-business marketing while facing the migration of advertising demand toward digital channels.
Action taken
Dex One and SuperMedia announced a stock-for-stock merger to combine their operations.
Aftermath
Dex One filed for Chapter 11 protection in March 2013 to facilitate the transaction, which closed on April 30, 2013, creating a new Dex Media.
2010
Rebrand and relaunch after bankruptcyStrategyBackground
The predecessor R.H. Donnelley business had entered bankruptcy after financial pressure and the structural decline of traditional directory advertising.
Action taken
The reorganized company adopted the Dex One name and combined its directory heritage with online, mobile, and pay-per-click marketing services.
Aftermath
Dex One operated as a separate public company until its 2013 combination with SuperMedia.
Sources1 sources
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