Walmart Gearing Up For Second Made in the USA Open Call

Suppliers may pitch products to senior leaders at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. during the company’s “Made in the USA” Open Call and U.S. Manufacturing Summit, set for July 7–8 in Bentonville.

The two-day event, split between the company’s headquarters and Bentonville High School, is intended for existing and potential suppliers that are looking to have their products sold at Walmart, Walmart.com and Sam’s Club.

For a complete agenda, click here.

Suppliers will also have the opportunity to learn a variety of relevant topics during the supplier sessions.

The first day will conclude with a networking reception at the Walmart AMP in Rogers, where suppliers will have the chance to network with state economic officials and other industry leaders.

On the second day, attendees can hear Walmart U.S. president & CEO Greg Foran, as well as Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson discuss how today’s trends and tomorrow’s innovations impact the American Jobs initiative, along with many other leaders and industry experts.  In addition, learn about state specific incentives and understand options for site selections through pre-scheduled meetings in an open-floor environment. 

Last year, the Bentonville company’s inaugural Open Call event involved 800 meetings and resulted in deals with hundreds of new products, according to a Walmart news release.

“Open Call is a unique opportunity to find great products made or assembled by American workers,” Cindy Marsiglio, vice president of sourcing and manufacturing for Walmart U.S., said in the news release. “With these suppliers, we can increase domestic manufacturing through our commitment to purchase more U.S.-made goods benefitting our customers and communities.”

In 2013, Walmart announced that it would add $50 billion in its spending on American products over 10 years.

According to a January 2014 press release, Walmart estimates that its pledge will result in Walmart buying an additional $250 billion cumulatively.