The firm has now focused its attention on higher-priced and higher-margin products that are not in the transportation fuel area.

Martin Marietta said yesterday that expense reductions and more sales of higher-margin products helped lift income 3.6 percent.

The company is also selling more higher-margin products.

Gutierrez's strategy, known as "Volume to Value," was to increase sales by focusing resources on higher-margin products.

It also stopped sales commissions, which further annoyed suppliers, who rely on sales personnel to steer customers to higher-margin products.

The company has placed a larger emphasis on overseas sales and higher-margin products.

Or if your higher-margin products or services are only being sold to a small percentage of your customers, how can you raise that percentage?

It is winding down its low-fee earning businesses to focus on more lucrative active fund management and higher-margin products.

Eastman decided not to spin off its fibers and basic plastics business, and to focus on higher-margin products.

Unfortunately, many of the same rural people who would have been likely to produce higher-margin value-added products in Mexico have instead emigrated.