U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker
U.S. Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker on Wednesday praised Wal-Mart Stores Inc. for its initiative to buy more American-made goods and support the nation’s manufacturing industry.
Pritzker was the keynote speaker at the opening session at the U.S. Manufacturing Summit that Wal-Mart hosted at Bentonville High School. The event was held a day after the retailer’s “Open Call” for suppliers to pitch products to Wal-Mart.
“Wal-Mart understands the importance of the manufacturing sector to the health of our nation’s economy,” said Pritzker, who joined President Barack Obama’s cabinet in 2013. “Your decision two years ago to buy an additional $250 billion in Made-in-America goods is another example of a smart business decision that is strengthening our communities.”
Pritzker, the daughter of the co-founder of Hyatt Hotels, highlighted Obama’s manufacturing initiatives such as the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, Manufacturing Community Parntership and Manufacturing Day. Pritzker said she was in private business for 27 years before joining the cabinet and understood how challenging it can be for a company to work with state and federal governments.
“From coast to coast, American manufacturers are the backbone of our economy and our country prosperity is closely linked to your success,” Pritzker said. “The department of commerce is committed to being your partner as this vital sector of our economy continues its remarkable resurgence. Working together, we can assure American manufacturers — that means you — remain at the center of our nation’s prosperity and keep America open for business.”
That is a refrain that Gov. Asa Hutchinson has preached about his state since he took office earlier this year. Hutchinson participated in a question-and-answer session with Dan Bartlett, Wal-Mart’s executive vice president of corporate affairs.
Hutchinson praised Arkansas’ workforce talent and work ethic and said his office was committed to work with manufacturers who move to the state.
When Bartlett asked about tax rates, Hutchinson said the state offered tax incentives to attract businesses.
“I’m a conservative Republican,” Hutchinson said. “For businesses to grow and prosper, they need to have a tax climate that is reasonable, fair and competitive with other states. They need to have to a regularity environment that is not stifling.”
Part of Wal-Mart’s drive to buy more American-made goods involves manufacturers moving their production lines to the United States. Hutchinson got the morning’s biggest laugh when he said when a manufacturer decided to relocate to the U.S., Wal-Mart should encourage the company to call his office.
“I know you’re a global enterprise and you look at all 50 states fairly,” Hutchinson said. “All of your children are equal, but we’re the oldest child and we want our share of attention.”
During the session, Wal-Mart executives made some announcements regarding how the retailer would continue to promote American-made goods and U.S. manufacturing. Michael Bender, the executive vice president of global e-commerce, said American-made products on Walmart.com would be identified with a more prominent logo in searches.
Cindi Marsiglio, the vice president of U.S. manufacturing for Wal-Mart, said the company was announcing another round of grants through its Innovation Fund, which she called Innovation Fund 2.0. Marsiglio said Wal-Mart awarded seven grants worth $4.2 million last year to promote innovation in manufacturing.
The new grants would be dedicated to innovation in the textile field, Marsiglio said. Marsiglio also announced that a partnership with ThomasNet, a database for manufacturers, would begin Aug. 1 that would provide a free service through Walmart-jump.com.
Sign up for Daily E-news
