Ohio startups chosen to pitch products for Walmart distribution

Several startups in Ohio, including one based in Fairfield, have been invited to pitch their products to be distributed in Walmart stores across the country.

Walmart has invited more than 500 businesses from across the nation, including some from Ohio, to present their “Made in the USA” products at Walmart’s Open Call event on June 28 in Arkansas. The event is a way for Walmart to “continue to invest in American jobs by accelerating the growth of U.S. manufacturing,” the company said in a statement.

This is the fourth year the company has invited companies to attend the open call, and nearly half of the businesses attending the event this year identify as “diverse,” and 25 percent identify as women-owned companies, Walmart officials said.

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“We are thrilled that entrepreneurs from across the country, including many diverse-owned businesses, continue to respond so strongly to the opportunity to participate in Walmart’s annual Open Call,” said Cindi Marsiglio, Walmart vice president for U.S. Sourcing and Manufacturing.

Products range from secret sauces and pocket-sized hair gel, to photographic mouse pads and bowls designed to keep cereal crisp. Ohio businesses include:

• Micah Specialty Foods (Cleveland) – Imagine starting a company from your kitchen with just your mother's marinade sauce recipe from Ghana and a dream. That is exactly what Micah Specialty Foods did. It is the company's goal to bring more African-American products to the shelves of Walmart through the help of Open Call.

• The Blonde Italian (Cleveland) – The Blonde Italian is a woman-owned business that carries a line of seasonings to spice up the lives of people from all walks of life. Their goal is to get the unique blend of spices in their Garden Garlic Seasoning on the shelves of Walmart and into the cabinets and recipes of customers.

Disaster Supply Warehouse (Fairfield) – Disaster Supply is a woman-owned business that brings two products to Open Call. The first is a disposable utensil stand that ensures your silverware is clean even when dining outside. The second is Buxom Betty's Button Stays. A product that helps prevent ladies' shirts from gaping open around buttonholes.

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