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…