Shane Parrish

He had a phrase for entering foreign markets, drink the local wine, which means studying local conditions, hiring local talent, observing and listening before you prescribe an act.

It had worked brilliantly everywhere.

But there was a problem.

The United States wasn't one market.

It was a collection of regional markets, each with its own tastes, its own distribution networks, and its own entrenched players.

This would be trench warfare.

They started small and close to home.

In 1975, they bought a plant in Maine, then another the following year.

Both were within driving distance of Florenceville.

The big American producers were all out West, so McCain could take the Northeast, sell private label to supermarket chains and benefit from lower shipping costs.

By 1981, American sales had nearly doubled to 27 million.

That sounds decent until you look at the ratio.

It was less than 4% of global sales.

Eight years later, the US still accounted for just 17% of global revenue.

Harrison knew that he could not be the largest frozen French fry producer in the world without a real foothold in America.

The biggest single door in that market was McDonald's.

He studied their buying practices carefully.

McDonald's purchasing agents pitted one supplier against another on quality and price.

They insisted on special equipment and specifications far beyond what any ordinary client would demand.

They were, by a wide margin, the most exacting buyer in the world.