the Minnesota Minnig and Manufacturing Co. which makes more than 40000 products including tape,sandpaper,medical products,and the ever-present Post-it notes,is one of the world's great multinational operations. in 2006 , the firm generated 61 percent of its 23 billion in revenues outside the USA .Although the bulk of these revenues came for foreign based operations,, 3M remains a major exporter with over 2 billion in exports.The company often uses its exports to establish an initial presence in a foreign market.only building foreign production facilities once sales volume rises to a level that justifies a local production.