progress but certainly there is more work to do.
states looking to lure manufacturing and with a $250 billion purchase order from Walmart, that is a recipe for success.
According to data from our suppliers, items that are made, assembled, sourced, or grown in the United States account for about two-thirds of what we spend to buy products at Walmart. We are thinking creatively about how we buy, so manufacturers can think creatively about where and how they produce their product. In some cases, Walmart is making longer-term product commitments on basic items so suppliers can leverage our scale and have predictability in running their factories. We are also working with our suppliers to connect the best resources to evaluate opportunities in the United States. Walmart’s suppliers have identified several challenges to [bringing] production to the United States; several issues continue to rise to the top — navigating the decen- tralized complexities of the site selection, finding raw material and com- ponent parts, and workforce needs. We can help navigate those com- plexities and accelerate the process of bringing production to the U.S. EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES On June 28, 2016, we’re hosting our fourth U.S. Manufacturing Summit at Walmart’s global headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Summit will include another “Open Call” for products made in the United States, a daylong event for companies to pitch U.S. made products to Walmart buyers. We open our doors and make our buyers available to meet with manufacturers to buy products that support American jobs. Our U.S. Manufacturing Summit provides a forum for bringing together industry experts, government officials, suppliers, and innova- tors. Together, we will explore the infrastructure and economic devel- opment opportunities available to new and expanding manufacturing facilities throughout the United States. There are highly competitive
Walmart has also created The Jobs in U.S. Manufacturing Portal (JUMP), a dedicated site for Walmart’s suppliers and those who are interested in manufacturing in the United States. JUMP subscribers can search our knowledge base for documents and videos, as well as submit product proposals and certifications. JUMP also includes a comprehensive and easy-to-navigate collection of resources, including organizations and businesses respected across the country for their contributions to U.S. manufacturing. To learn more about JUMP and Walmart’s 2016 U.S. Manufacturing Summit and Open Call, visit www.walmart-jump.com. If foreign manufacturers haven’t looked at options for production in the United States recently and re-evaluated their total cost of production, we encourage them to take a look. ``The time is right to bring manufacturing back to the United States. Overseas labor costs are rising, while energy costs in the United States remain low.`` The United States is a very competitive place to manufacture for many consumer products and offers many business advantages. A short supply chain, no matter where you are, can help with getting products on the shelves faster, managing inventory, and responding to seasonal and trend demands. It helps to have the world’s largest retailer leading the charge, and we are excited to play a role in accelerating the effort.
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JUNE 2016 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS
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