Walmart 2004 Annual Report Download - page 11

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into other countries around the world. And that’s when
Joel Appel turned to Wal-Mart.
Orange Glo began doing business with SAM’S CLUB late
in 1999 and placed its first products in Wal-Mart Stores in
early 2000. OxiClean and Orange Glo were the first
products supplied to both businesses. Discussions with
Wal-Mart merchandise teams assisted the company in
further developing the infrastructure needed to grow and
expand. By 2001, Orange Glo had been named Wal-Mart’s
household and paper goods department Supplier of the
Quarter.Then, in 2003,Wal-Mart named Orange Glo as
one of its Global Sourcing Suppliers of the Year.
“Wal-Mart provided the guidance required to efficiently
improve our logistics and information systems,” says
Joel Appel. “They encouraged us to improve our overall
management of our business.We improved our cost
controls, demand forecasting, promotional activities
and supply chain. And that’s how we became an
international company.”
Today, the company’s products are sold in Wal-Mart
Stores and SAM’S CLUB locations around the world.
“Wal-Mart has been a tremendous force for
helping us improve as a company,” says Appel.
“With only 186 employees, we now sell our
products in every Wal-Mart Store in the
United States, United Kingdom, Mexico,
Canada, Puerto Rico, Germany, Korea, China
and Japan.”
Bronner Bros.
The founder of Bronner Bros. Cosmetics, an
Atlanta-based ethnic hair products company,
had much in common with a certain
entrepreneur from Bentonville, Ark., says the son
who now runs the company.
“Nathaniel Bronner and Sam Walton were
clones,”says Bernard Bronner, president and
chief executive officer of the company and
publisher of Upscale, a general-interest
magazine for African-American readers that is
published by Bronner Bros. “They had the same
philosophical beliefs. Both of them drove old cars, and
they weren’t flashy. That’s one reason we’ve always
loved Wal-Mart.”
Today, 30 members of the Bronner family work for
Bronner Bros., which has supplied ethnic hair products to
Wal-Mart for 20 years.
“When we started with Wal-Mart, our company had about
$500,000 in total annual revenue, and we have grown to
$38 million. Wal-Mart and Bronner Bros. have grown right
alongside each other.”
“We love working with Wal-Mart because their policies
are so no-nonsense. It isn’t based on friendships; it’s based
on business.This eliminates any foolishness and keeps
decisions from being emotional.Wal-Mart is our best and
most dependable customer – our most loved customer.”
“For anyone thinking about doing business with
Wal-Mart, I would tell them to listen to everything
Wal-Mart says, because they will help you run the
best company possible in the long run.They give
us data about our products faster than anyone
else, which tells us what’s selling and what isn’t.
The main thing they’ve taught us is how to
keep costs low.”
“Personally, I’m a Wal-Mart lover. My family
shops there three times a week.We live in
Wal-Mart. I have a daughter who is 4 years
old, and her favorite word is ‘Wal-Mart.’
She says it every time she gets in the car.
And then there’s my brother, Dale. For the
last two years, the Baptist congregation
he leads has been constructing a new
sanctuary. In the meantime, they held
services, believe it or not, in an old
SAM’S CLUB. Like I said, we love Wal-Mart.”
Bernard Bronner