If you were a hot-shot marketing executive, what would it take to get you to move to Bentonville, AK?
Bentonville is home to the world's largest retailer, Wal-Mart. Over the next few years, Wal-Mart has plans to add as many as 60 high-level marketing executives to the headquarters' staff in Bentonville, AK.
20 years ago, Bentonville didn't have a working traffic light. In many dictionaries, when you looked up the word, "backwater," you found a picture of Bentonville (joke.)
Today, the circumstance is somewhat different. The number of employees in the Wal-Mart home office has grown from 450, to more than 6000. Less than five years ago, the nicest restaurant in town...in fact the only place to get a decent steak...was Fred's Hickory Inn. Two years ago, white-tablecloth fine dining arrived with the opening of Oscar's Prime Rib & Steak House...which features the "Oscar's Ultimate Bone-In Cut, the ultimate Prime Rib Experience," at $32.00.
Bentonville also boasts the Walton Arts Center (WAC), which this weekend hosts the New York City-based, Mark Morris Dance Group. The following weekend at the WAC, you will find the Bunk Bed Brothers, who are not New York City-based.
In 2004, Stephen Quinn was the chief marketing officer of Frito-Lay. However, he was looking for a different challenge and was willing to take a lifestyle change to be a part of that. He is now senior VP-marketing at Wal-Mart. He says, "Bentonville is evolving so rapidly, you need to figure out what it will look like in three to five years...If you were single, it might not be your first choice, but it's a great place to raise kids."
Another interesting Wal-Mart phenomenon in Bentonville, is the presence of those companies who are suppliers to the retailing behemoth. Ten years ago, Wal-Mart's suppliers flew into town once a year for a round of meetings with the Wal-Mart buyers...and then flew home at the days end. Today, suppliers and buyers live on the same street, and attend the same churches.
Within the past few years, more than 2000 suppliers have set up shop in the Bentonville area...and that number is expected to double. Procter & Gamble began the trend in 1989...opening up a 10-person office. Today, P&G's Wal-Mart staff has mushroomed to 200. There are now 20 office parks dedicated to Wal-Mart vendors. Disney, shares a building with Vivendi-Universal. Inside these offices, the walls are covered with photos, and quotes, from Sam Walton...with signs on the door reading "Wal-Mart Support Unit", or "Team Wal-Mart."
When in Rome...
hi. it's bentonville, AR, unless you're referring to alaska!
Posted by: Brian | January 22, 2008 at 01:19 AM