Tell us about your company, what do you do?
Walmart Inc. helps people around the world and across Oregon, save money and live better – anytime and anywhere – in retail stores, online and through their mobile devices. From Medford to Island City, Willamette Valley, coastal towns and Ontario to Coos Bay, Walmart serves customers with 45 stores, a distribution center and online through Walmart Online Grocery and Walmart.com. We are proud to employ more than 11,000 associates in the state, helping our neighbors in Oregon communities every day and in disasters, as we now face in recovery from the recent fires, especially the Almeda, Santiam Canyon, Holliday Farm, Riverside and Echo Mountain tragedies. We are grateful for the men and women firefighters, saddened by the impacts to forests and recreation areas and are feeling the effects of the fires alongside everyone along the west coast.
Strengthening the communities we serve means that last year, more than $6.6 million in cash and in-kind donations were made to non-profit organizations working with families, children, seniors, food banks, mentorship, veterans, emergency responders, equity & inclusion. It’s all part of Walmart’s unwavering commitment to create opportunities and bring value to customers and communities in the U.S. and around the world.
Tell us about your employees and the Live Better U program
Walmart is committed to the future of retail and that investing in our people is essential to serving customers today and in the future. To help prepare our workforce for tomorrow, Walmart offers Live Better U, a program that creates access and empowers Walmart associates to go as far in their education — and careers — as their hard work and talents will take them. The cornerstone of Live Better U is the debt-free $1 a day college degree program which is designed to help remove barriers — like cost, time and earning a relevant degree in a changing economy — that too often keep adult learners from furthering their educations. Through Live Better U, Walmart associates can earn degrees and certificates from several universities selected for their success with adult learners for only $1 a day. Live Better U also provides free high school completion for Walmart associates and eligible family members, discounts on higher education programs like master’s degrees, free foreign language learning and much more — all in partnership with Guild Education. Since launching Live Better U, thousands of Walmart associates have headed back to school debt-free, collectively saving tens of millions of dollars in student debt.
How does Walmart support manufacturing in Oregon and connect with local manufacturers?
Walmart is invested in Oregon manufacturing, since the first store opened in 1992 to today, spending $859 million and supporting more than 20,000 additional jobs during fiscal year 2020 – cheese & dairy, ice cream, beers and wine, breads, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables are some of the products sourced from the Beaver State. In 2013, the Company announced its commitment to investing in American renewal, intent to boost job creation and U.S. manufacturing through buying an additional $250 billion in products that support American jobs over 10 years https://engage.walmart-jump.com/. Based on data from Boston Consulting Group, it’s estimated that 1 million new U.S. jobs will be created through this initiative, including direct manufacturing job growth of approximately 250,000, and indirect job growth of approximately 750,000 in the support and service sectors. Walmart’s initiative also includes an annual ‘Open Call’ opportunity – 13 Oregon suppliers were selected this year for the 2020 Open Call.