We're obviously very proud of our volunteers who represent your Company every day in front of the communities our businesses call home. They are, in our view, one of the reasons why GE, in a Fortune magazine poll, was named the most admired company in America. All of this added up to a banner year for GE share owners. 1998 has begun auspiciously as well. Answering that will be the focus of my brief remarks this morning.
Globalization is crucial to our growth, and it is a central focus at each of our businesses.
Today, we look at a GE that will do almost half of its business outside the U.S. by the year 2000. With Europe now in the midst of an economic recovery, our strong participation could not have been better timed. We have increased the intensity of our acquisition activity in that great market of the next century. We are now a truly global company in mind as well as body. Asia, Europe, and the Americas.