Walmart Executive Dan Bartlett Highlights Walmart’s Success in Arkansas
March 19, 2025Arkansas is home to four, homegrown Fortune 500 companies. Walmart, based in Bentonville, Arkansas, is number one on that annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine ranking the 500 largest U.S. corporations
Walmart founder Sam Walton had early successes in the retail industry after operating a store in Newport, Arkansas, and then opening Walton’s 5&10 in Bentonville. He opened the first Walmart store in 1962 in Rogers – changing the history of the retail industry.
Today, Walmart is the world’s largest retailer and the largest company by revenue in America.
Through all of its growth and success, Walmart has remained headquartered in Arkansas. The company recently opened its New Home Office in Bentonville – a 350-acre world-class campus.
In a new video from the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Walmart executive Dan Bartlett talks about the history of this iconic company and why Walmart plans to continue calling Arkansas home.
Dan Bartlett serves as Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Real Estate for Walmart Inc. In this role, Bartlett shapes and shares Walmart’s story in saving people money so they can live better lives. To accomplish this, Bartlett and his team engage in public policy effort, lead sustainability and philanthropic initiatives, and advise business partners throughout Walmart Inc.
Walmart’s “North Star,” according to Bartlett, is lowering the cost of living for people by lowering the prices of their everyday needs. By operating an efficient company, Walmart is able to make cost savings that it can funnel into lower prices for its customers – resulting in “always low prices.”
“One of the things that we learned from Sam Walton in the history of Walmart is that he was a real student of retail, and he was always looking to see what the competition up to. He talked about the purpose of the company and talked about how we can save people money and help them live better – not just here but all around the world, and that’s really been the mission of this company ever since,” Bartlett said.
This mission has led to tremendous success for Walmart – earning it the top spot on the annual Fortune Global 500 list for the 11th consecutive year in 2024.
In January 2025, Walmart officially opened its New Home Office in Bentonville. For Bartlett, the New Home Office represents a long-term commitment for Walmart. “With the decision we made with the building of a new corporate home office here, we kind of planted our flag here forever,” he said.
Deciding on a corporate headquarters location is a critical part of any company’s strategy. Talent is a crucial part of the puzzle for Walmart. In Arkansas, Walmart is able to “meet its expectations as a company” but is also able to “meet the expectations of the entire community,” in Bartlett’s words.
“So that work-life balance of having exceptional opportunities in the workplace but also having the type of personal lifestyle that is advantageous for raising kids and growing a family – those are not easy to come by,” he said.
Arkansas is an easy choice for doing business for Walmart, according to Bartlett.
“Why Arkansas? I’d say ‘Why not?’ It has everything you need. It has natural beauty, world-class talent, world-class cuisine and food and entertainment. The upside for Northwest Arkansas is limitless, and the growth that has happened in Northwest Arkansas is on the national map and, in some cases, the global map of one of the most dynamic communities in the country. What I can see going into the future not only with the investments that we’re making as a company but other investments in the community is that the future is very bright – so that’s why Arkansas.”
See other executives make the case for doing business in Arkansas here.
