GE wasn’t the first company to boldly move into international markets, but it faced unique challenges in doing so. Tapping international markets wasn’t as easy as just opening an office in a foreign city; it required deep connections with local, regional, and national governments. Moreover, GE wasn’t selling cell phones, or any other product that could be sold just by parachuting in. Its machines cost hundreds of millions of dollars and would be in place for decades. GE needed local operations that understood their market and could establish roots.
