The two best reasons for investing company resources in vertical integration (either forward or backward) are to

• A. Expand into foreign markets and/or control more of the industry value chain
• B. Broaden the firm's product line and/or avoid the need for outsourcing
• C. Enable use of offensive strategies and/or gain a first mover advantage over rivals in revamping the industry value chain
• D. Strengthen the company's competitive position and/or boost its profitability