Oct. 29, 2019
By Cindi Marsiglio, Vice President, Merchandising Services
Cooler temperatures. Pumpkin spice. Halloween. American jobs.
Three of these four things naturally come to mind every October. But did you know October is Manufacturing Month?
Manufacturing Month is sponsored by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and this year, Walmart is proud to serve as a partner, helping to showcase the role manufacturing plays in the creation of jobs in America. When more than 80% of our customers told us where their products are made matters to them, it was impossible not to listen.
Likewise, when our suppliers told us with Walmart’s help, they can make more products closer to our customers, we launched the Investing in American Jobs initiative, a 10-year commitment of $250 billion that we’re investing in goods produced, sourced and assembled in the U.S. The broader goal is simple: support the opportunity for job creation in the communities we serve. We’re proud of our progress toward this goal that can help create a million new jobs, but we recognize there is still more work to be done when it comes to supporting American manufacturing.
So this October, in support of that goal, we worked with dozens of Walmart suppliers on events celebrating Manufacturing Month within their facilities. The men and women at these companies are the backbone of this industry, and we wanted to take a moment to spotlight them and show how big of a role they play in bringing products to our store shelves.
Walmart suppliers and their employees, chambers of commerce, fellow manufacturers and students from local public schools and community colleges all participated in these events. We think it’s important for these groups to see how modern manufacturing in our country is evolving. For the students, it helps them understand how the skills many are learning today can translate into future careers in the communities they call home.
One such event took place in Clinton, Tennessee, at the 3M factory. With a history dating back 117 years, 3M manufactures a range of products including air cleaning filters. They have added more than 100 new jobs in this factory, and we are proud to stock these products on Walmart shelves.
Take a minute to check out the 3M story to peek into today’s manufacturing and join us as we cap off celebrating Manufacturing Month in America.
