Case | HBS Case Collection | 2012

Goldwind USA: Chinese Wind in the Americas

by Regina M. Abrami and Iacob Koch-Weser

Abstract

Many Chinese firms have struggled in the United States. Renewable energy is a fledgling, high-risk market. Can Goldwind USA, a leading producer of wind turbines, overcome the odds? The case examines the many strategic choices Goldwind faced as it established its first major overseas subsidiary in Chicago: building a local team around a U.S. CEO, bridging cross-cultural differences among management, overcoming regulatory hurdles, sourcing from local suppliers, and facilitating turbine sales through innovative deal structures.

Keywords: foreign direct investment; cross-cultural relations; environmental regulation; international management; financial strategy; emerging technologies; sourcing; customer relations; Foreign Direct Investment; Renewable Energy; Cross-Cultural and Cross-Border Issues; Governing Rules, Regulations, and Reforms; Financial Strategy; Decision Choices and Conditions; Energy Industry; China; Chicago;

Citation:

Abrami, Regina M., and Iacob Koch-Weser. "Goldwind USA: Chinese Wind in the Americas." Harvard Business School Case 912-416, May 2012.