Sylvan Learning Centers accounted for 31 percent of the company's total sales last year. That unit produced 33 percent of the total sales in 1999. The company has made a sizable investment in its holders to date. Sylvan International Universities operates four post-secondary institutions with a total of nearly 55,000 students. Analysts who cover Sylvan Learning Systems and other educational companies said the international strategy makes sense.
Cultural transition Entering a foreign market poses several barriers for a U.S. firm.
And when one considered that education in most countries is regulated by the governments, it's not easy to imagine the hoops an outside company is forced to jump through. Appadoo said the company has been well received in most of the markets its entered for some simple reasons. They see as a good partner for their country. Lorenzo Antillo Matas, who serves as executive president of Universidad de Las Americas in Chile, said the ability to partner with a large U.S. firm has plenty of benefits. Most of what takes place as far as changes when Sylvan International Universities buys a school is behind the scenes.