Nearly 600 entrepreneurs showed up in Bentonville, Arkansas this week with a single, simple goal: Convince Walmart to put their products on America’s most storied shelves.
Welcome to Open Call, Walmart’s annual pitch event where small business owners get face time with Walmart and Sam’s Club buyers.
This year marked the 12th iteration of the event. Over two days, 750 pitch meetings were scheduled.
The stakes? A “Golden Ticket” — the first step toward getting your product into 4,600+ stores nationwide.
The pitches ranged from the practical to the, well …
And Chip Cruea and Ruben Reyes, co-founders of Vaquero Snacks in California, promoted their beef snacks — sourced, produced, and packaged entirely in the U.S.
American-made
It’s a real opportunity. Walmart says it’s committed to investing $350 billion in U.S.-made, grown, or assembled goods by 2030. By their estimate, that would lead to about 750,000 American jobs.
Jason Fremstad, Walmart’s senior vice president of supplier development, said that more than two-thirds of Walmart’s annual purchases are already U.S.-made products.
Asked whether tariffs were driving the domestic sourcing push, Fremstad put it this way:
“I think the environment’s changed, but the environment changes every single year … The closer we can get to our customers and members with manufacturing, the better.”
Translation: Walmart wants shorter supply chains, more control, and products that resonate with American shoppers.
According to the company, over 85% of Walmart shoppers say it’s important that the retailer carries U.S.-made products.
The Sam Walton pitch
Steuart Walton — Sam’s grandson and a Walmart board member — set the tone Tuesday morning at the company’s new Bentonville headquarters. He framed his grandfather’s philosophy in blunt capitalist terms:
“He believed in the good of capitalism, the power of it, the importance of it, the ability to create wealth, the ability to distribute wealth, the ability for the pie to grow.”
John Furner, Walmart’s U.S. president and CEO, reminded attendees that Sam Walton launched the original “Buy American” push 40 years ago.
It’s a legacy the company clearly wants to own.
Even Cole Hauser — the “Yellowstone” star — showed up to share his experience getting Free Rein coffee into Walmart. His advice to entrepreneurs after their pitch meetings?
“Remember to just keep kicking ass. … Meet as many people as you can, build relationships and stay positive and have a good time.”
Not exactly profound, but probably more useful than most motivational keynotes.
What it takes to win
Getting a Golden Ticket isn’t easy, and it’s only the beginning.
Entrepreneurs still need to prove they can scale production, meet Walmart’s pricing demands, and navigate the retailer’s famously tough supply chain requirements.
But the opportunity is massive.
As Zaven Gunjian, vice president of Brushtech Brushes in New York, put it:
“Every town in the USA has a Walmart. When you think about Walmart, you think about the USA — and when people think about the USA, they think about Walmart.”
That’s not hyperbole. (Also, how cool would it be for people to associate your brand with an entire country, and vice-versa?)
For a small business, landing shelf space at Walmart means instant national distribution and credibility. It’s the kind of scale that can transform a regional brand into a household name — or crush a company that isn’t ready for it.
This year, Walmart also expanded Open Call’s focus beyond finished products.
They’re now seeking manufacturing innovation and technology solutions that reduce complexity, cost, or environmental impact. Think yield insights, shelf-life extension, alternative materials, and advanced manufacturing techniques.
The bottom line
Walmart has built an empire on efficiency and scale.
Now they’re betting that American-made products — and the entrepreneurs behind them — can help them maintain that edge while appealing to customers who care about where their stuff comes from.
For the 600 entrepreneurs who pitched this week, the real test comes next: whether their Golden Tickets turn into actual orders, and whether they can deliver when Walmart comes calling.
Because landing the meeting is one thing. Surviving what comes after is something else entirely.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
Bill Murphy Jr.
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