31.   Each new international operator must work with a local partner.

32.   Earlier this month, Starbucks opened its first store in Japan with a local partner.

33.   Even with a local partner, operating conditions in the U.S. have proven to be tricky for the Mexican homebuilder.

34.   Ferguson let go of two local partners a month ago, plus two associates and an administrative staffer.

35.   Faced with basic uncertainties, many foreign companies are drawn to finding a local partner who can help navigate the market and can produce garments with local workers.

36.   For a share of the revenues, the local partners would provide network access and customers for the myriad services that IBM hopes to make available.

37.   For foreign firms without retail branches, the only problem is gaining access to those individual investors, which makes it essential to tie up with a local partner.

38.   Ford Motor Co. and its local partners will open new factories in Vietnam in October, in China in December and in Thailand next summer.

39.   Foreign firms experienced at handling institutional clients may spend less time researching stocks that appeal to the retail investors of their local partners.

40.   For little money down, he became the local partner in the Rico project and got into what could prove to be a fantastically lucrative deal.