SALT LAKE CITY — Walmart surprised Ambrosia Collective of Draper and Norse Roots of Logan with invitations to Open Call, an annual event in which hundreds of entrepreneurs get the chance to pitch their US-manufactured products to Walmart buyers for a chance to land on Walmart store shelves and walmart.com. The unsuspecting business owners were asked to come to a Salt Lake City Walmart store prepared to pitch their product to a store manager, while the store manager was waiting for the opportunity to share that their spot at the coveted event had already been secured. Norse Roots creates a variety of flavored beef tallow kettle chips without the use of seed oils. Ambrosia Collective is a sports nutrition and bio-hacking supplements brand whose signature product is Planta, a plant-based protein powder. Open Call is scheduled for October 7-8 at Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.
“We’re beyond excited to showcase Ambrosia Planta at Walmart’s Open Call,” said Marc Lobliner, Founding Partner of Ambrosia Collective. “This is a huge opportunity not just for our brand, but for the people who believe in clean, delicious, plant-based nutrition. Getting Planta in front of Walmart’s audience can take our mission to the next level—bringing the best-tasting, highest-quality plant protein to millions more households across America.”
David Hansen, CEO of Norse Roots, added, “Our Norse Roots chips are cooked in beef tallow instead of seed oils, making them a game changer for snack lovers. Getting the chance to share them with Walmart buyers at Open Call is an incredible opportunity, and we’re beyond excited to show what makes our chips so different. This moment could open the door to reach shoppers across the country and doing so while representing Utah makes it even better.”
Norse Roots and Ambrosia Collective were two of several small businesses surprised today at events like these across the country. Hundreds more will receive an e-mail notification of acceptance to Open Call by the end of the day. Invitees will travel to Walmart’s headquarters for one-on-one meetings with Walmart buyers. Some deals will happen on the spot, while others may take more time with follow-ups between buyers and potential suppliers after the event has ended.
“What a thrill it was to be part of this surprise reveal and get familiar with these two Utah businesses,” said Sarah Seamons, Store Manager of Walmart #3589 in Salt Lake City. “Both did a remarkable job pitching their products, and we were impressed by their offerings. Their stunned reactions to being informed that they’ve already been selected to pitch at the home office were priceless!”
Attendees at this year’s Open Call could secure deals ranging from a handful of local stores, to supplying hundreds or even thousands of stores, Sam’s Club locations and Walmart.com. The two-day event informs, empowers and encourages all who attend while providing a great networking opportunity for local entrepreneurs.
Join the celebration and wish Ambrosia Collective, Norse Roots and other local entrepreneurs luck on their journey to Open Call by joining the conversation on social channels using #WalmartOpenCall.
About Walmart in Utah
Walmart 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. In Utah we serve customers at 59 retail units and online through Walmart Online Grocery, Walmart.com and our family of brands. We are proud to employ more than 20,500 associates in Utah. Walmart supports local businesses, spending $2.8 billion with Utah suppliers in FY25 and supporting more than 27,000 supplier jobs in Utah. Walmart continues to be a leader in employment opportunity, sustainability, and corporate philanthropy. In FY24, Walmart and the Walmart Foundation contributed more than $22.8 million in cash and in-kind donations to local nonprofits in Utah. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting our corporate website and our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter channels.