DENVER, Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Walmart,
the Walmart Foundation and the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM),
kicked off a new chapter in the modern American manufacturing story
today as the global retailer announced the first grant recipients
of the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund's $10 million commitment at the 2nd U.S.
Manufacturing Summit in
Denver. The summit is bringing
together manufacturers suppliers, governors and mayors from across
42 states.
Seven leading research and development institutions were awarded
a total of $4 million in grants to
create new processes, ideas, and job creation that will foster
America's growing manufacturing footprint. The fund, which focuses
on the development of domestic manufacturing with a specific goal
of advancing the production or assembly of consumer products in the
U.S., will provide a total of $10
million in grants over the next five years.
"Innovation is part of the heart and soul of Walmart," said
Michelle Gloeckler, Walmart's
executive president of consumables and U.S. manufacturing. "By
investing in American ingenuity originating everywhere from the
research lab to the assembly line, we can transform our approach to
manufacturing to be more cost-effective and efficient. We can bring
more jobs and more production back into American communities."
The grant recipients were selected for their ability to address
two key areas that currently present barriers to increased domestic
manufacturing:
- Reducing the cost of textiles manufacturing, including home
textiles and apparel, in the U.S. by addressing obstacles
throughout production.
- Improving common manufacturing processes with broad application
to many types of consumer products.
"It's only fitting to work with the nation's largest retailer on
this initiative, a company that is committed to U.S. manufacturing
and creating more jobs to help boost the U.S. economy," said
Kevin Johnson, President of the U.S.
Conference of Mayors and mayor of Sacramento. "The projects recognized today are
some of the best ways we've seen to bring American manufacturing
into the Cities 3.0 era, helping to create hubs of innovation,
entrepreneurship, and technology. Cities 3.0 is the next era
of the American city, where cities are becoming the laboratories
and incubators of change by supporting projects like the ones
recognized today."
The 2014 Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Fund grant
winners are:
- Georgia Tech Research Corporation for innovation of
thread-count-based fabric motion control, a critical enabling
technology for the automated production of sewn goods.
- Indiana University-Purdue University at
Indianapolis (IUPUI) to advance and accelerate the
industrial implementation of metal 3-D printing for the
manufacturing of plastic injection tooling as an alternative to
current metal-shaping practices.
- North Carolina State University
College of Textiles to address challenges to manufacturing of
furniture cushions in the U.S. by implementing new technologies in
both fabric printing and cut-and-sew automation.
- Oregon State University
to develop two novel alternative mold fabricating approaches,
and evaluate for functionality, precision and cost reduction
potential.
- Texas Tech University to
support collaborative research on cotton breeding and
biotechnology, cotton production, and various aspects of textile
manufacturing, dyeing efficiency and specialty finishes.
- University of Texas at
Arlington to develop a novel manufacturing system that
will autonomously prepare small motor sub-systems and assemble the
motor components.
- University of Georgia Research
Foundation to develop an innovative approach to fabric dyeing
that will greatly reduce, and perhaps eliminate, the need for water
in dyeing cotton and cotton/polyester fabrics and yarns.
The Innovation Fund is another milestone in Walmart's broader
commitment to help revitalize U.S.-based manufacturing. In
January 2013, Walmart announced the
retailer would buy an additional $250
billion in products supporting American manufacturing and
American jobs by 2023.
Together, these commitments represent a significant investment
that will help accelerate the pace of U.S. manufacturing. By making
production in the U.S. more cost effective and efficient, the
global retailer believes it can bring American consumers an
increasing number of American-made products and ultimately create
more jobs in communities across the country.
For more information on Walmart's commitment to U.S.
manufacturing, please visit
http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/us-manufacturing.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT)
helps people around the world save money and live better – anytime
and anywhere -- in retail stores, online, and through their mobile
devices. Each week, more than 245 million customers and members
visit our almost 11,000 stores under 71 banners in 27 countries and
ecommerce websites in 10 countries. With fiscal year 2014 sales of
over $473 billion, Walmart employs
more than 2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a
leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment
opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by
visiting http://corporate.walmart.com on Facebook at
http://facebook.com/walmart and on Twitter at
http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available
at http://www.walmart.com and
http://www.samsclub.com.
About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart and the
Walmart Foundation are committed to helping people live better
through philanthropic efforts. By operating globally and giving
back locally, Walmart is uniquely positioned to address the needs
of the communities it serves and make a significant social impact
within its core areas of giving: Hunger Relief & Healthy
Eating, Sustainability, Career Opportunity and Women's Economic
Empowerment. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are leading the
fight against hunger in the United
States with a $2 billion
commitment through 2015. Walmart has donated more than 1 billion
meals to those in need across the country. To learn more about
Walmart's giving, visit foundation.walmart.com.
About The U.S. Conference of Mayors
The United States Conference of Mayors is the official non-partisan
organization of cities with populations of 30,000 or more. There
are nearly 1,400 such cities in the country today. Each city is
represented in the Conference by its chief elected official, the
mayor. The primary roles of the Conference are to promote the
development of effective national urban/suburban policy; strengthen
federal-city relationships; ensure that federal policy meets urban
needs; provide mayors with leadership and management tools; and
create a forum in which mayors can share ideas and information.
www.usmayors.org
SOURCE The U.S. Conference of Mayors