FireDoors: A Belarusian Company Is Going Global

Abstract

Dmitry Bratanov, Director for Development and co-founder of FireDoors—a company producing antismoke and fire-protection curtains for public spaces—was convinced that, after the economic crisis in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region in 2014–2016, the company needed to expand to other markets in order to secure profitability and sustainability. However, Bratanov was puzzled whether FireDoors should (a) incorporate and open an office in the United States to manage further expansion from there; (b) incorporate in Lithuania and enter the neighboring markets of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Poland as a European company; or (c) continue in the CIS countries and gradually move toward connected Western and Asian markets. Moreover, the co-founders were not in agreement on an expansion strategy.