Walmart Ups Game in Domestic Sourcing – Sets Policy Agenda

This week Walmart convened a broad group of individuals and organizations representing government, business, and non-governmental organizations from across the country to present a Policy Roadmap to Renew U.S. Manufacturing.

The meeting included a bipartisan conversation about the current challenges and opportunities in the U.S. manufacturing sector as well as case studies of successful collaboration among key stakeholders.

According to Walmart’s press release: “Walmart’s Policy Roadmap to Renew U.S. Manufacturing offers a comprehensive approach to tackling the major barriers that keep companies from manufacturing more consumer goods in the United States. The roadmap identifies the highest impact policy barriers as (1) workforce, (2) coordination and financing, (3) regulation, and (4) tax and trade and proposes specific policies that have the potential to effectively accelerate and grow U.S. manufacturing.”

OMA’s Ryan Augsburger approved of Walmart’s direction, saying, “It’s the simplest recipe to generate economic growth and job creation in Ohio, when it’s made here, someone is paid here.”

A spokesperson for Walmart said that the retail giant last year spent $5.6 billion with Ohio suppliers. 7/27/2017