Two Minnesota-based companies are vying for a chance to sell their products in one of the largest retailers in the world.
Smackin' Sunflower Seeds and Cubles will compete in Walmart Inc.'s Open Call pitch contest at the retailer's home base in Bentonville, Arkansas from Sept. 24 to 25. The contest provides an opportunity for small to medium-sized businesses to have their products sold at Walmart or Sam's Club locations or online at Walmart.com.
At last year's Open Call, Walmart and Sam's Club merchants heard more than 1,000 pitches from more than 700 businesses from across the U.S.
Open Call entrepreneurs participate in mentoring sessions with Walmart leaders and others. Additionally, each entrepreneur gets a one-on-one pitch meeting with Walmart and/or Sam's Club merchants.
Smackin' Sunflower Seeds, which just opened a new headquarters in North Loop in the historic Warehouse District, manufactures and sells flavored sunflower seeds, including unusual flavors like red velvet cake.
The company was founded in 2019 by University of Minnesota college roommates Cole Schaefer and Brian Waddick. The brand has gained popularity through its social media channels, featuring videos with Major League Baseball players.
Arden Hills, Minnesota-based Cubles, founded by Joel Morris in 2015, is a children's toy that users assemble from recycled paper into 3-D cube creatures. The company began distributing its product in 2019 in Minneapolis. For every one tree that Cubles uses, it donates part of its profits to plant 100 trees.
