Walmart Making Good on Promise to Buy US

Expansion Management

Walmart Making Good on Promise to Buy in US

Oct. 7, 2013

“This agreement was a direct result of conversations held at our recent U.S. manufacturing summit.said Bill Simon, CEO for Walmart U.S. “ It reinforces our belief that we can revitalize American manufacturing and help rebuild the middle class with good-paying jobs that will allow employees to be a part of the American dream again.”

Adrienne Selko

Earlier this year Bill Simon, Walmart CEO committed to buy an additional $50 billion in U.S.-made products over the next decade.

In August GE announced an investment of $30 million at three plants to produce light bulbs for Walmart as part of Walmart’s initiative.

Today, Redman& Associates announced that it will open a new manufacturing and distribution facility in Rogers, Ark., that will produce six volt battery-powered ride on toys exclusively for Walmart.

Redman, based in Bentonville, will invest $6.5 million in the facility, which will employ 74 people.

“This agreement was completed through working collaboratively with the state and Walmart and was accelerated following Walmart’s U.S. manufacturing summit in August,” said said Mel Redman, CEO of Redman & Associates “We look forward to starting production and creating good-paying positions with average hourly wage of $18.”

The factory will produce 6-volt battery powered ride on toys featuring characters from popular Disney and Marvel franchises including: Disney Princess, Classics, Disney∙Pixar and Spider-Man. Production should begin in early 2014. Redman is licensed by Marvel Characters B.V., and Redman produces Disney character ride-on toys for Walmart under Walmart’s license with Disney.

“Today’s announcement is an example of what can happen when companies, industry leaders and government work together to make production in the United States possible again,” said Bill Simon, CEO for Walmart U.S. “This agreement was a direct result of conversations held at our recent U.S. manufacturing summit. It reinforces our belief that we can revitalize American manufacturing and help rebuild the middle class with good-paying jobs that will allow employees to be a part of the American dream again.”

About the Author

Adrienne Selko | Senior Editor

Focus: Workforce, Talent

Follow Me on Twitter: @ASelkoIW

Bio: Adrienne Selko has written about many topics over the 17 years she has been with the publication and currently focuses on workforce development strategies. Previously Adrienne was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck? which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics and EHS Today.

Editorial mission statement: Manufacturing is the enviable position of creating products, processes and policies that solve the world’s problems. When the industry stepped up to manufacture what was necessary to combat the pandemic, it revealed its true nature. My goal is to showcase the sector’s ability to address a broad range of workforce issues including technology, training, diversity & inclusion, with a goal of enticing future generations to join this amazing sector.

Why I find manufacturing interesting: On my first day working for a company that made medical equipment such as MRIs, I toured the plant floor. On every wall was a photo of a person, mostly children. I asked my supervisor why this was the case and he said that the work we do at this company has saved these people’s lives. “We never forget how important our work is and everyone’s contribution to that.” From that moment on I was hooked on manufacturing.

I have talked with many people in this field who have transformed their own career development to assist others. For example, companies are hiring those with disabilities, those previously incarcerated and other talent pools that have been underutilized. I have talked with leaders who have brought out the best in their workforce, as well as employees doing their best work while doing good for the world.