Foreign firms have been present in Mecklenburg County since 1925 when the Sandoz Corporation moved to Charlotte. Since this time, the number of foreign firms has grown tremendously. From 1960 to 1970, the increase in the number of firms was 333 percent. The number of foreign firms continues to climb with a 665 percent increase over a 31-year period, from 1970 to 2001.  Today, Mecklenburg County's foreign firms represent 33 different countries; however, 76 percent of the firms are concentrated in the top six countries.