hat originating in France. However, the company's revenue by destination shows that it is an export-oriented company. Of its 2008 revenues by destination, approximately 25 percent were internal to France, while nearly two-thirds of this revenue came from goods and services sold within Europe. The remaining third came nearly equally from North America, Asia and the Middle East (2008 Annual Report, 2009).
Outside Europe, the country with the largest number of Thales employees is Australia, with 3506 at the end of 2008; the United States has the second largest population of Thales employees, with 2317 at the end of 2008. However, the United States outpaces Australia-and all other Thales countries-in terms of both revenue by destination and revenue by origin, with 72 percent more revenues by destination than Australia, and 33 percent more revenues by origin than Australia. Worldwide, The USA was responsible for 21 percent of revenues by destination outside Europe, and for 37 percent of revenues by origin outside Europe (2008 Annual Report, 2009).
Thales uses a multidomestic approach to its international operations, meaning that it incorporates in the destination country or forms partnerships with local firms to establish its operations. This helps the organization take advantage of cultural knowledge at locally, and also provides advantage when selling to the defense industry where national interest and sovereignty are paramount issues ("At a Glance," 2010).
Because Thales is a French company, it reports its earnings in euros. For the year ending 2008, which is the most recent year for which figures are available, the company had revenues of E12.6 billion, with profits of E560.4 million. Sales increased in real terms from 2006 to 2007, and also from 2007 to 2008. Th
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