By Jeffrey Hawting
Earlier in March, Walmart President and CEO, John Furner announced Walmart is committing an additional $350 billion to purchase products that are made, grown or assembled in America. This is the example we need from our largest US corporations if we are going to grow US manufacturing jobs. What I liked about the Walmart announcement is its support for small businesses and what they called “diverse suppliers and sellers”.
As a not-for-profit company, LCI is the poster child for that category of diverse suppliers. Our organization’s mission is to find meaningful employment for people who are blind and low vision. We’re excited to accept the Walmart challenge and see how our mission and Walmart’s commitment can intersect.
Unemployment for people who are blind or who have other significant disabilities has been chronically high for decades. Department of Labor statistics shows that people with disabilities between the ages of 16 and 64 have a labor participation rate of just under 33%, compared with almost 76% for people without disabilities.
With decades of experience manufacturing within the US, how can LCI work with you to grow American jobs, especially for those most underrepresented in our economy? We make or assemble everything from locks, pumps, lightsticks, shoelaces, shredders to medical kits– that’s pretty diverse! Something that LCI is very proud of is the long track record of doing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) manufacturing for all sorts and sizes of businesses. Remember – our passion for the mission drives everything we do.
I invite you to take tour of LCI’s headquarters in Durham, NC by watching the video below featuring our VP of Business Development, DuWayne Gilbertson. You’ll see first hand the quality work we do each and every day.
Do you have a product that needs expert assembly or distribution? We have 8 facilities around the country ready to step in to help. Let’s connect.
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