ROCKFORD, Ill., USA – Months after earning the opportunity during Walmart’s prestigious and competitive “Open Call” event, Fire Department Coffee is set to debut its popular roasts at Walmart stores nationwide this June.
The veteran-owned company, founded in 2016, has experienced significant recent growth. Now, its products will be available to customers at more than 2,300 Walmart stores, representing nearly half of all Walmart stores in the United States.
Fire Department Coffee is a company focused on roasting premium and creative roasts while giving back to support sick or injured firefighters. Having a presence in Walmart stores is a significant development that will make it possible to support even more firefighters and make a positive impact on the lives of men and women who give so much to support their own communities.
The first roasts available in Walmart stores will be FDC’s Original Medium Roast, Skull-Crushing Espresso, Shellback Espresso, and Black Cherry Bourbon Infused Coffee. Original Medium Roast, Skull-Crushing Espresso and Shellback Espresso will also be available in single-serve coffee pods.
“We could not be more thrilled about the opportunity for coffee lovers to find Fire Dept. Coffee in Walmart stores,” FDC founder and CEO Luke Schneider said. “It’s an opportunity to introduce our roasts to even more people, allowing us to help more firefighters in need. Not only that, it’s creating more jobs here in our hometown of Rockford.”
Indeed, meeting the demand of supplying Walmart stores has allowed Fire Dept. Coffee to increase its workforce at its roasting, packaging, and shipping facilities in Rockford, Illinois. That outcome was a primary goal of Walmart’s Open Call event, held in the fall as part of its “Investing in American Jobs” initiative.
More than 13,000 applications were received for the Open Call event. Roughly 1,000 were invited to Bentonville to pitch their product and convince Walmart they have what it takes to succeed on their shelves. More than 180 pitches, including Fire Dept. Coffee, received the Golden Ticket and the opportunity to be featured in Walmart stores.
