Walmart, Suppliers and Government Officials Accelerate Job Growth

Commitments to Inject $70 Million into Factory Growth and Add More Than 1,000 U.S. Jobs Highlight Event

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 22, 2013 - Nearly 1,500 government officials and suppliers convened today at the Walmart U.S. Manufacturing Summit to advance American renewal in manufacturing and help rebuild opportunities for America's middle class. The summit at the Orlando Convention Center underscored Walmart's commitment to buy an additional $50 billion in U.S.-made products over the next 10 years and featured announcements from suppliers that, combined, are expected to infuse more than$70 million into factory growth and create more than 1,000 domestic jobs.

"Jump-starting the manufacturing industry and rebuilding the middle class requires a national effort by companies, industry leaders, lawmakers and others," said Bill Simon, president and CEO of Walmart U.S. "Together, we can help spark a revitalization of U.S.-based manufacturing, using new technology and new innovations to make production in the United States affordable and feasible."

The summit brought together representatives from across industries – including 500 supplier companies, 32 state governments, major retail industry leaders and other retailers. Governors and state officials had the opportunity to speak directly with hundreds of manufacturers who are ready to create jobs in their local communities. For supplier companies, Walmart's summit provided an opportunity to present potential projects and learn about the resources available in different states.

"At the Department of Commerce, we are leading the Administration's efforts to support American manufacturing and expand our exports," said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker. "I applaud Walmart for convening this summit and all of the participating companies for the commitment they've made to expand their manufacturing activities in our country. Right now, companies in America are making and selling products around the world at an all-time record pace, and the incentives to make things here and hire American workers is only getting stronger. A summit like this one, which brings multiple organizations from the public and private sectors together, is exactly the type of cooperation that's needed to grow businesses, create jobs and keep America competitive."

As the economics of manufacturing are shifting and goods are increasingly being produced closer to where they are consumed, the numbers work to manufacture more in America.

GE Chairman and CEO Jeff Immelt said, "GE and Walmart understand how to bring together the best people and the best technologies to make the world work better. Today's announcement builds on the history of collaboration between GE and Walmart, and reinforces our belief that manufacturing is a competitive advantage, allowing U.S. companies to compete and win in every corner of the world."

Supplier Commitments:

During the summit, suppliers and manufacturers discussed opportunities to create jobs, restore communities and drive economic growth. Multiple companies announced domestic manufacturing investments, including the following:

• GE is creating 150 jobs through a $30 million investment to produce domestically made GE Energy Efficient Soft White bulbs that will be sold exclusively at U.S.-based Walmart stores.
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• No nonsense^®, one of the most recognizable legwear brands in America, made by Kayser-Roth Corporation, announced today a sock initiative with Walmart that will add more than 100 new jobs at Kayser-Roth and additional jobs in local industries in North Carolina. No nonsense^® will be expanding its Made in the USA Program by investing up to $28 million in its existing production facilities located in North Carolina.
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• Element Electronics Corp. plans to open a new flat screen TV factory in Winnsboro, S.C.Production is scheduled to begin in December 2013 and the aggressive project will target up to 500 jobs.
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• Renfro, a North Carolina based, multi-national legwear company specializing in the design, manufacture and sale of all kinds of socks is expanding its capacities over the next two years inCleveland, Tenn., and Fort Payne, Ala., by investing an additional $14 million and creating an additional 195 manufacturing jobs.
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• Chobani, maker of America's No. 1 selling Greek Yogurt, invested $450 million to open its Twin Falls, Idaho, plant last December. The plant employs more than 1,000 people and is the largest yogurt manufacturing facility in the world.
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• Hampton Products International has been analyzing re-shoring production over the last five years and recently invested $5 million in a new Shell Lake, Wis., facility to begin production of Wright Products ® screen and storm door hardware. The company plans additional capital investments in 2014 at that site that over time are expected to add an additional 150 jobs.

"Many of us want to move forward, but it can be difficult for any one retailer, supplier or local government to know where to start," concluded Simon. "At the summit, we are building a network of support for domestic manufacturing. In the room, we have the capital, the expertise, the ideas, and, most importantly, the will."

The National Retail Federation (NRF) partnered with Walmart to host the event and drive this initiative forward among its members.

"Retailers have a strong role to play in creating more jobs and manufacturing in America. We can give manufacturers the confidence they need to invest in the infrastructure they need to make this possible. We're proud to partner with Walmart in this effort," said Matthew Shay, President and CEO of the National Retail Federation. "The discussions helped to define the economic opportunity that can be driven by more U.S. manufacturing, provided details on working with government and offered examples of how suppliers are successfully increasing domestic manufacturing."

'CBI finds violation of rules by Walmart in Indian deal'

Thiruvananthapuram, India - CBI has found violation of RBI and FEMA regulations by retail multinational Walmart in a business deal it struck with Bharti group before FDI in multi-brand retail was allowed in the country, CPI leader M P Achuthan said here today. The Rajya Sabha member, who took up the matter with the Prime Minister a year ago, said CBI had recently communicated to him that the business deal involved violation of regulations but expressed its inability to probe the matter further since FEMA violation does not come under its purview. The CBI, in its letter, said the matter was ÒanalysedÓ by the agency and it Òrevealed violations of RBI guidelines and FEMA regulationsÓ. The Economic Intelligence Wing of the agency, which looked into his complaint, said the matter was closed by it since RBI and FEMA regulations do not fall under its purview, Achuthan said in a statement. The CPI leader said he has also taken up the matter with the Enforcement Directorate and would decide on the future course of action after getting its response. According to Achuthan, Walmart invested USD 100 million in Cedar Support Service of Bharti group in 2010 and this investment was diverted to retail trade when FDI in retail was barred in this country. Achuthan, in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in September 2012, wanted the matter to be investigated. Voicing concern over the delay in pursuing the matter, he wrote to the Prime Minister again last month and the matter was forwarded to CBI and the Central Vigilance Commission.

Inspecting the Inspectors: Walmart and Chiquita immune to labor oversight in Honduras

When labor officials are ill-equipped and powerless, workers' complaints can hardly be investigated.

 - John Otis (courtesy - Global Post)

longhand sucks up precious time. It’s one reason why he can only handle two or three cases per day.

Wednesday, 9:25 a.m.: First in line to see Rivera is Wendy Maravilla, who works the cash register at a supermarket chain owned by Walmart. She claims that unlawful deductions have cut her take-home pay in half. It takes 25 minutes for Rivera to jot everything down.

The Labor Ministry provides Rivera with neither a vehicle nor cab fare to do his job. So if Maravilla wants Rivera to visit her workplace, she’ll have to pay his way.
She agrees. But taxis are expensive. Rivera calls a friend who agrees to drive us across the city to Walmart headquarters for half price. The friend rolls up in a 1968 Toyota compact. We squeeze inside, and even with the windows down, are nearly overwhelmed by exhaust fumes.  

Rivera likes to catch people off-guard with surprise inspections. But that means he often misses the managers he’s looking for. When we get to Walmart, the supervisor is gone.
Wednesday, 11 a.m.: Waiting for us back at the ministry is Lilian Cantor, who claims she was fired illegally from her cafeteria job at an underwear factory, or maquiladora, in the nearby city of Choloma. To get there, Rivera presses Cantor for the 16 lempira — or 85 cent — bus fare.

We climb into a jam-packed public bus and stand in the aisle. Rap and reggae music blast from the speakers. At bus stops, vendors board to sell candy and soft drinks. Rivera pays no attention and focuses on a marked-up copy of the Honduran labor code that he carries in his briefcase like a Bible.
After 45 minutes in heavy traffic, we transfer to a second bus that drops us at the maquiladora. At the gate, security guards toting shotguns and pistols refuse to let us in.

Despite his job title, Rivera has no authority to force his way into private businesses. He’s as threatening as a soldier with a squirt gun.
“If I try to go inside,” Rivera says, “those guards could kill me.”
Under the law, Rivera could call for police backup. But he says officers are usually busy with more urgent matters.

Dejected, Rivera leads us across the street to wait for another bus to take us back to San Pedro Sula. Half the day is gone and Rivera has accomplished nothing.

Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.: We reconnect

with Maravilla, the Walmart employee. She’s had enough car exhaust for one day and has convinced her boyfriend, a taxi driver, to take us to another Walmart office where we have an appointment with a human services manager.

Most people filing labor complaints have already been fired and have nothing to lose. But Maravilla still has a job and Rivera admires her courage. Even if she prevails, Maravilla runs the risk of later being fired or blacklisted as a troublemaker.
The manager, a tight-lipped woman in her 30s, denies wrongdoing. But Rivera asks to see the company payroll records.

She promises to get Rivera the documents but seems to be stalling. After an hour, Rivera informs her that he will start the process to levy a fine.
But the sanction would have to be approved by the Labor Ministry head office in the capital of Tegucigalpa, a six-month process. What’s more, the labor code in Rivera’s briefcase was penned in 1957. Its norms are laughably out-of-date.

Even if Walmart is penalized, the fine would amount to a few hundred dollars. Rivera shakes his head and says, “It’s ridiculous.”
  
Thursday, 9:30 a.m.: Given Rivera’s huge case load, there’s no time to waste. But rather than a factory, our first stop of the day is Dunkin’ Donuts.
Rivera has hooked up with Luis Aguiluz, a lawyer who represents security guards who claim they are not receiving their full wages.

Aguiluz wants Rivera to pay them a visit but first the lawyer wants breakfast. And since Aguiluz is doing the driving in his air-conditioned SUV — a step up from yesterday’s crowded buses and junker cars — Rivera doesn’t argue.

At Dunkin’ Donuts, the two men discuss the case which Rivera has been tracking. Suddenly, Rivera realizes that he’s left a key folder about the security guards at the office.
If Rivera carried a laptop, he’d have all the data at his fingertips. Instead we drive all the way back to the Labor Ministry so the low-tech inspector can dig up the missing documents.

Half an hour later, Aguiluz drives us to a flour mill where some of the security guards he represents are on duty. Rivera approaches one of the guards. But after a few questions the guard’s supervisor shows up and runs us off the property.

Thursday, noon: As a favor for meeting the guards, Aguiluz drives us to the nearby town of La Lima, which is the Honduran headquarters of Chiquita Brands. Rivera has a meeting with leaders of the banana workers union. They greet us with smiles and bottles of banana soda.

The officials tell Rivera that Chiquita is adding new work requirements that were not included in their labor contract. Rivera wants to get out into the fields to see for himself. But he lacks the authority to enter Chiquita property without permission.

The union officials decide to take us incognito. After 45 minutes on bumpy dirt roads in the back of a pickup, we breeze through several checkpoints where security guards apparently take us for Chiquita employees.
Once in the banana patch, the workers say they now have to secure each banana tree with two strands of rope to prevent them from blowing over in the wind. But their labor contract calls for tying down each tree with just one strand of rope.

It may sound trivial. But the extra step slows the workers down, a major issue because they are paid based on how much they produce.
Rivera would like to snap some photos. But beyond a vehicle and a laptop, he also lacks a camera. I end up taking the pictures.

Thursday, 1 p.m.: On the way back to San Pedro Sula, Rivera confides that he identifies with the banana workers because he used to be one. His job was to spray pesticides on endless rows of banana trees.
The job was so tough that Rivera quit, then scraped together enough money to go back to school and earn a law degree. After witnessing frequent abuses in the banana fields, he chose to specialize in labor law.
Rivera has spent the past 22 years as a labor inspector and is proud of his oversight role. “It helps our society,” he says.

When I point out that, in reality, he’s a low-rung bureaucrat with a shocking lack of resources to carry out vital responsibilities, Rivera refuses to complain.
For one thing, riding the bus to perform cursory investigations represents a big step up from his former life as a banana worker. And like many people in Honduras, a country where the most people are either unemployed or under-employed, Rivera is simply happy to have a job.

TCS expands student technology awareness programme in US

Washington, Aug 15 - Indian software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expanding its 'goIT' summer camp for American students, which was first started four years.

TCS's annual goIT programme for students is designed to foster high school students' interest in pursuing a career in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM).

Since its beginning four years ago in Cincinnati, Ohio, the goIT programme has reached over 2,000 students across numerous districts through in-school workshops and its summer camp. It is now being expanded to Midland, Michigan, TCS said.

ÒThe ultimate goal of our reinvention of Michigan is to provide employers and employees with opportunities for success in the new economy, Michigan 3.0,Ó Michigan Governor Rick Snyder welcoming the TCS programme in its state.

ÒTCS has made a real investment in our young people and in our community through the innovative program, goIT. I look forward to its success in encouraging more students to pursue STEM careers,Ó he said.

At TCS, we know firsthand that to succeed in tomorrow's workforce, students across America must have a solid foundation in STEM and be fluent in the technologies that will power the global economy of the 21st century, said Surya Kant, President, TCS North America, UK and Europe.

ÒThat is why we are so proud to expand the goIT programme into new regions of the country and extend its benefits to more students and inspire them to discover their potential to be leaders in science and technology,Ó he said.

Free for all students, TCS's goIT programme provides in-school IT career and awareness workshops, and hands-on technology education.
Throughout the school year, over 40 TCS volunteers conducted workshops and other training to introduce students to 'cutting-edge' technologies and provide IT career education. The topics covered include basic programming lessons and technology hot-topics such as Web 2.0, social media and mobile technology.
During the summer camp, students participate in a series of analytical and interactive challenges surrounding the IT industry and specific computer science problems.

The highlight of the camp is a robotics competition in which student teams program robots under the guidance of TCS mentors and then compete in a series of challenges, such as obstacle courses and automation activities. At the end of the summer camp, students are recognised for their achievements at a Parent-Student award ceremony.
In the coming years, TCS plans to expand goIT programme's reach to more high school students throughout the US.

Recent statistics show that over the past decade, university enrolment in STEM-related fields has decreased by over 60 per cent in the US, while in 2012 alone over 150,000 tech jobs are projected to be available leading to roughly 2.5 jobs available for every IT graduate in the US.

Ehrler Wins Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell Presented by Folgers

South Carolina's Gordon Wins Co-Angler Title, $25,250

GREENVILLE, S.C., March 12, 2012 - National Guard pro Brent Ehrler of Redlands, Calif., left Lake Hartwell last year with a second-place finish, but was 10 pounds short of victory. On Sunday Ehrler sat one ounce out of the lead when he began chasing the victory that escaped him a year ago. And at the end of the day, Ehrler's five bass worth 20 pounds, 5 ounces gave him a total four-day weight of 74 pounds, 13 ounces – more than 3 pounds heavier than second place – as well as a championship trophy and $125,000 at the Walmart FLW Tour on Lake Hartwell presented by Folgers.

Micah Frazier of Newnan, Ga., posted a total weight of 71 pounds, 11 ounces to claim second place. He set up a dramatic finish when he pulled out a monster bass that Ehrler estimated to be about 8 pounds. The standing-room-only crowd in the TD Center erupted and Ehrler's mind began to race.

"I thought he had 17 or 18 pounds and then he pulled out that big one and I thought, 'He's probably got close to 20,'" said Ehrler, who now has four FLW Tour victories. "And I was sitting there looking at the board, and I knew I had close to 20, and I was trying to do the math. And I started thinking, 'Maybe mine weigh 18.' So I started getting scared."

Ehrler said he fished three main techniques during the event but credited his location to the victory.
"I had one really good spot that I kept conserving," Ehrler said. "I didn't fish it that long each day. I'd pull up, catch a few and leave. I could tell there were a lot (of fish) on it. When I got there yesterday my co-angler caught all his weight there by 8:30, and he had 18 pounds."

Ehrler said he left the spot early Saturday to save it for the last day of competition. He returned Sunday and caught four of his fish he weighed in on that spot.

Ehrler said he targeted bass with his electronics the first day of competition and presented them with a drop-shot rig and a jig. Ehrler also fished a Senko around shallow docks on the first day. On Friday he caught fish on a jig, drop-shot rig and a Picasso School-E-Rig. Saturday the jig bite began to pick up, however, he caught his biggest bass of the day on the School-E-Rig. Ehrler said he relied solely on the jig to land his limit Sunday.

Ehrler's jig setup consisted of a Lucky Craft 7-foot heavy-action rod with 16-pound-test Sunline FC Sniper line on an Abu Garcia Revo MGX reel. His jigs were brown 3/4- and 5/8-ounce models tipped with green-pumpkin Yamamoto Twin Tail Grubs.

For the drop-shot rig, Ehrler used Owner 1/0 wide-gap hooks with a 6-inch Roboworm, 1/4-ounce Lunker City drop-shot weight, an 8-pound-test Sunline FC Sniper leader connected to 12-pound-test braided Sunline line on a 7-foot Lucky Craft shaky-head rod paired with an Abu Garcia Revo PRM40 reel.
For the School-E-Rig setup Ehrler used a stout 8-foot Lucky Craft rod and an inshore Abu Garcia Revo reel with 80-pound-test Sunline FX2 braided line. Ehrler used 1/4-ounce Picasso jig heads and 3 1/2-inch silver pearl Yamamoto swimbaits with the rig.

"It feels so good," Ehrler said of his fourth Tour win. "I can't tell you how awesome it feels to win this thing."
Tom Monsoor of LaCrosse, Wis., caught only one fish on the last day of competition at Lake Hartwell for the second year in a row and dropped his lead after three days to an eighth-place finish. Monsoor earned $35,000 for his efforts.

The remaining top 10 pros finished the tournament in:

			3rd:	Marty Stone, Fayetteville, N.C., 20 bass, 68-5, $30,000
			4th:	Todd Auten, Lake Wylie, S.C., 20 bass, 66-1, $25,000
			5th:	Chevy pro Anthony Gagliardi, Prosperity, S.C., 20 bass, 61-1, $20,000
			6th:	Chevy pro Jay Yelas, Corvallis, Ore., 20 bass, 61-0, $17,000
			7th:	Kettle Brand Chips pro Dan Morehead, Paducah, Ky., 20 bass, 58-14, $16,000
			8th:	Tom Monsoor, LaCrosse, Wis., 16 bass, 56-6, $15,000
			9th:	Andy Morgan, Dayton, Tenn., 20 bass, 55-7, $14,000
			10th:	National Guard pro Brett Hite, Phoenix, Ariz., 18 bass, 54-9, $13,000

Overall there were 44 bass weighing 128 pounds, 4 ounces caught by pros Sunday. The catch included eight five-bass limits.
Kevin Gordon of Aiken, S.C., won the co-angler division and $25,250 Saturday with a three-day total of 15 bass weighing 43 pounds, 3 ounces followed by David Kuykendall of Fletcher, N.C., in second place with 15 bass weighing 35-12 worth $7,500.

In FLW Tour Major tournaments, pros and co-anglers are competing for valuable points that could help them qualify for the 2012 Forrest Wood Cup presented by Walmart, the world championship of bass fishing. The top 35 pro and co-anglers in the point standings from the six FLW Tour Major tournaments will qualify.
The Tour stop on Lake Hartwell presented by Folgers was hosted by the Anderson Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Greenville Convention & Visitors Bureau, and was the second of 10 Walmart FLW Tour tournaments of the 2012 season. The Walmart FLW Tour on Table Rock Lake presented by Kellogg's will be the next tournament and will be held March 29-April 1 in Branson, Mo. The event will be hosted by the Branson/Lakes Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and boats will launch from Table Rock State Park Marina in Branson, Mo.

Coverage of the Lake Hartwell tournament will be broadcast in high-definition (HD) on NBC Sports Network when "FLW" airs April 15 from 1 - 2 p.m. ET. "FLW" is hosted by Jason Harper and is broadcast to more than 559 million households worldwide, making it the most widely distributed weekly outdoors-sports television show in the world.

Wal Mart Women File Discrimination Charges

Most filed in five states with early federal deadline protecting right to pursue claims WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2012 - In a move to protect their right to pursue individual and class action pay and promotion claims against Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., more than 500 former and current Wal-Mart women employees who had been part of a national class action lawsuit have filed a charge of discrimination against the retailer with the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as of Friday, Jan. 27. That was the deadline for women in five states – Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and North Carolina – to pursue their claims, according to plaintiffs' attorneys Joseph Sellers, Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll PLLC, and Brad Seligman, the Impact Fund, who represent the women. The vast majority of the EEOC charges – some 430 – were filed in those states since the June 2011 U.S. Supreme Court decision reversing a lower court ruling certifying class action against Wal-Mart. Women in all other states who previously filed class action claims against Wal-Mart, and its subsidiary Sam's Club, have until May 25, 2012, to file a claim with the EEOC. "The Supreme Court did not give Wal-Mart a free pass to discriminate. Filing an EEOC claim is one more way current and former women employees of Wal-Mart can assert their rights," Sellers and Seligman said in a statement. More than 12,000 women have contacted plaintiffs' counsel directly or through the informational website, www.walmartclass.com, to discuss pursuing claims of gender-based pay and promotion discrimination. Even in the five states with the Jan. 27, 2012, filing deadline, women with pay and promotion discrimination charges against Wal-Mart from July 2011-on can file EEOC claims against the company. "These EEOC charges are just the down-payment—we expect to file thousands of additional charges by the May 25, 2012 deadline. We urge women throughout the country who feel they have been discriminated against by Wal-Mart in pay and promotions to log onto the www.walmartclass.com site and register," said Seligman. Regional class action lawsuits on behalf of women plaintiffs who worked in California and Texas region Wal-Mart stores were filed in federal courts in those states in October 2011. An expanded class action was filed in Texas federal court in January 2012.

Oglala Sioux Tribe Filed Lawsuit Against Brewers

Lawsuit Includes Anheuser-Busch InBev, Molson Coors, Pabst, Miller, Whiteclay Alcohol Retailers and Nebraska Distributors LINCOLN, Neb., Feb. 9, 2012- The Oglala Sioux Tribe has filed a lawsuit against brewers, retailers and distributors of alcohol sold in Whiteclay, Nebraska. The lawsuit was announced today at a news conference hosted by Nebraskans for Peace. Attorney Tom White, legal counsel for the Oglala Sioux Tribe, said the defendants are engaged in a common enterprise focused on assisting and participating in the illegal importation of alcohol sold at Whiteclay onto the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The sale, possession and consumption of alcohol is illegal on the Pine Ridge, where tribal members suffer from crippling poverty and alcoholism rates. Whiteclay lies less than 250 feet from the reservation border. "The Oglala Sioux Tribe seeks compensation for all of the damages the Lakota people have suffered as a result of illegal alcohol sales," said White, who is with White and Jorgensen Law Offices in Omaha. "The defendants have failed to make reasonable efforts to ensure their products are distributed and sold in obedience to the laws of the State of Nebraska and the Oglala Sioux Tribe." "We can now begin to address the terrible harm to the Lakota people caused by Whiteclay alcohol sales," said OST vice president Tom Poor Bear. Since two of Poor Bear's brothers were found murdered outside Whiteclay in 1999, he has fought to bring their killers to justice and close the Whiteclay beer stores. In Nebraska, Poor Bear has been assisted by Winnebago Tribe activist Frank LaMere and Nebraskans for Peace, a statewide peace and justice organization. "Whiteclay has fewer than a dozen residents, yet in 2010 its four licensed retail stores sold the equivalent of 4.9 million 12-ounce servings of beer—or over 13,000 cans a day—to a population that has no legal place to drink them," according to Mark Vasina, president of Nebraskans for Peace. "Much of the beer is bootlegged onto the Pine Ridge for resale." Vasina chronicled the struggle by Native American activists to address this situation in his award-winning 2008 documentary "The Battle for Whiteclay." "All those involved in the sale of alcohol in Whiteclay are knowingly contributing to this notorious, illegal behavior and preying upon the Lakota people," said Frank LaMere, who has directed attention in Nebraska to Whiteclay since 1997. Defendants named in the complaint include: Anheuser-Busch InBev Worldwide, Inc. SAB Miller d/b/a Miller Brewing Company Molson Coors Brewing Company Miller Coors, LLC Pabst Brewing Company Pivo, Inc. d/b/a High Plains Budweiser Dietrich Distributing Co., Inc. Arrowhead Distributing, Inc. Coors Distributing of West Nebraska d/b/a Coors of West Nebraska Jason Schwarting d/b/a Arrowhead Inn, Inc. Sanford Holdings, LLC d/b/a D&S Pioneer Service Stuart Kozal d/b/a/ Jumping Eagle Inn Clay Brehmer and Daniel Brehmer d/b/a State Line Liquor

Walmart to Generate Solar Energy

Walmart's solar power initiative will total more than 130 stores by the end of 2013; Adds hundreds of jobs through partnership with California-based SolarCity

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif., Sept. 23 - Walmart today announced its plan to install solar panels on up to 60 additional stores in California, expanding the company's solar portfolio to more than 75 percent of its stores in the state, making California the first state in the nation where Walmart has devoted this level of commitment to renewable energy.

"California presents a great opportunity for Walmart to make significant progress toward our sustainability goals by installing solar power on more than 130 store rooftops throughout the state," said Kim Saylors-Laster, Walmart vice president of energy.  "Walmart has reduced energy expenses by more than a million dollars through our solar program, allowing us to pass these savings on to our customers in the form of everyday low prices."

When complete, Walmart's total solar commitment in California is expected to:

• Generate up to 70 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable energy per year, which is the equivalent of powering more than 5,400 homes*;
• Avoid producing more than 21,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year, which is the equivalent of taking approximately 4,100 cars off the road*; and
• Provide 20 to 30 percent of each facility's total electric needs.

"Walmart's effort to expand and accelerate its solar power initiative program here in California demonstrates their commitment to sustainability. These kinds of projects create jobs, reduce costs for businesses by lowering power bills, and protect the environment," said Mary D. Nichols, Chair of the California Air Resources Board. "We appreciate Walmart's leadership and encourage other businesses to follow Walmart's lead."

"Walmart's commitment to renewable energy in California is commendable," said Gwen Ruta, vice president for corporate partnerships at Environmental Defense Fund.  "These projects are a win-win for the environment and our economy, and help move our country toward a cleaner energy future."

"Walmart has undertaken one of the most ambitious solar initiatives of any company in the U.S., and tripled the scale of its initial project with us," added Lyndon Rive, SolarCity's CEO.  "Walmart is setting an example that far more companies in the U.S. can follow; it is possible for many businesses to pay less for solar power than they currently pay for electricity."

Walmart's investment in solar power is anticipated to create hundreds of jobs in California through its partnership with SolarCity, which will own, install and maintain the new solar power systems. The San Mateo, Calif.-based company has added more than 500 new full-time jobs since it initiated its first Walmart solar project, and expects to hire hundreds more before the end of the year.

"Our solar efforts in California have proven to be a great way for Walmart to build our renewable energy program," said Mack Wyckoff, senior manager of renewable energy at Walmart.  "We are confident that we will continue to grow our solar energy program in the U.S. and around the world because of the initial success we have had in California."

Why Walmart so much Interested in Secretary Hilary Clinton's Statement

 
How big business houses use politicians to gain for their business, this is latest example from Wal Mart. Without commenting so much on this issue,please go through this news item, you will learn whole story.... 

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 16, 2011- "There is perhaps no single issue more essential to the progress of our world than the progress of women. Secretary Clinton has been a leader in creating that progress, so we appreciate the Secretary's support of our efforts to open market access for women-owned businesses. Our plan to spend $20 billion with these businesses, as well as the work we'll do in factories and on farms to empower women, will help bring about a global marketplace where women's contributions are truly valued.

"The challenge of empowering women is a complex one, and we want to thank Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Verveer for their leadership on this issue. No one can solve this issue alone, but with the continued leadership of the Secretary and others, we will continue to make progress on the critical issue of providing women and girls the tools they need to succeed in life, at home and at work."

--- Leslie Dach, Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Walmart
 
(Secretary Clinton made her remarks during a keynote address at the APEC Women and the Economy Summit this morning in San Francisco.)

Background:
 
Walmart's Global Women's Economic Empowerment Initiative:

On Sept. 14, 2011, Walmart announced a major global initiative to help empower women economically across its supply chain. Over the next five years, Walmart will lead an effort with specific goals to open markets for women-owned businesses and increase training and career opportunities for women on farms and in factories.  The goals were developed with NGOs and other partners and are designed to leverage the company's size and scale to help women and their families live better. Like its work on sustainability, hunger and healthier foods, this initiative is another step forward in the company's commitment to leading on social issues.

APEC:
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) Women and the Economy Summit (WES) is being held this week in San Francisco. The United States is one of 21 member economies of APEC, whose primary goal is to support sustainable economic growth and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.

About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at over 9,600 retail units under 69 different banners in 28 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.1 million associates worldwide.

....Wal Mart entered in Indian Market and this move is to win over Indian Woman.