3M: Power cables

High-capacity transmission lines are the backbone of China's fast-growing electric grid. 3M supplies advanced components like the one in this picture, able to tolerate high levels of heat. It resists failure better than other cable materials. This is just one of 69,000 products that 3M manufactures around the world. The company's sales in China have expanded at an annual rate of 25% since 2000, reaching $1.5 billion in 2008.

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