INNOVATION KNOWS NO BOUNDARIES. It’s a truth we have long embraced at ITW, and it’s one of the reasons why our total revenue growth in 2010 exceeded our expectations.

Innovation appears in the form of custom tapes designed by ITW for mobile phone manufacturers in China, headed for consumers hungry for the latest electronics. It may take the shape of a lightweight door handle engineered by an ITW automotive group—parts that ultimately help make car ownership economical for families in India. Innovation also happens in Europe, where ITW’s unique commercial cooking and retail hardware offerings are serving highly selective customers. And in places as far from each other as Arkansas and Singapore, innovation is born from ITW’s customer-driven strategies and product design.

At ITW, innovation is deeply linked to our global presence and our ability to achieve above-market growth rates in 2010. Bringing innovative products to the world’s fastest growing regions—as well as established, competitive markets—help expand our global footprint, deliver the solutions that our customers expect, and drive growth for our shareholders.