Top Management's Role in Strategic Planning

The 1970s were a successful decade of growth and diversification for Norton Company. In 1979, sales exceeded $1 billion, ranking Norton 261 on the list of Fortune's 500 industrial companies. Half of Norton's sales were made outside the United States. In 1979, the company's return on equity was 20 percent. Norton maintained a leading market position in its historical business, abrasives, and in half a dozen other industries.