Is Rocket Lab an American or New Zealand company?
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Link here. According to Rocket Lab’s own president, his company is American, even though much of its history is based in New Zealand.
When I asked Peter Beck whether his company was Kiwi or American, he didn’t shirk from waving the Stars and Stripes. “Look, we’ve been an American company and proud of it for many years,” he said.
“The New Zealand element is very important and very special to us but we never tried to hide the fact we’re a US company and this is where New Zealand companies go wrong in the fact that if you want to be a large, successful global company, it’s very difficult to be that out of New Zealand.”
Please consider donating to Behind the Black, by giving either a one-time contribution or a regular subscription, as outlined in the tip jar to the right or below. Your support will allow me to continue covering science and culture as I have for the past twenty years, independent and free from any outside influence.
Link here. According to Rocket Lab’s own president, his company is American, even though much of its history is based in New Zealand.
When I asked Peter Beck whether his company was Kiwi or American, he didn’t shirk from waving the Stars and Stripes. “Look, we’ve been an American company and proud of it for many years,” he said.
“The New Zealand element is very important and very special to us but we never tried to hide the fact we’re a US company and this is where New Zealand companies go wrong in the fact that if you want to be a large, successful global company, it’s very difficult to be that out of New Zealand.”
He says American but also global, hrm.
wodun,
His use of the word “global” may be a reference to their intended clientele. China, Russia, and Arianespace are becoming much more national, rather than global, in their payloads, as they are having some trouble attracting as many international customers as before.
Clearly Peter Beck does not intend to include the entire global community as the nationality of his company. Otherwise he would not have expressed pride in being an American company but would have said something more along the lines of his company being an international company, similar to the International Space Station.
I rather think the correct term would be “multi-national corporation.”