A firm that is concerned about its sources of raw materials or end-product markets might acquire other firms at different stages of its production or distribution processes. These are vertical mergers. For example, in 1984 Mobil Corporation (now part of ExxonMobil), a major international oil company considered strong in refining and marketing but somewhat “crude poor,” acquired Superior Oil Company, which owned large oil and gas reserves and had no refining and marketing operations. The acquisition resulted in Mobil becoming a better balanced oil company. LO1