Meat seller heads to Walmart to pitch product line – The Philadelphia Tribune

Walmart officials selected Hipp to participate in the 6th annual Open Call event June 18-19 at its Arkansas-based headquarters. The initiative is part of the retail giant’s commitment to buy $250 billion in U.S. products by 2023.

During the 2018 Walmart Open Call, nearly 600 meetings were held, with product pitches including toys, apparel, natural health and beauty aids and food. Prospective suppliers traveled from 46 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

This year, attendees from approximately 450 companies are bidding for the chance to have their products featured in Walmart and Sam’s Club stores around the country.

Hipp, who is 74, is hopeful that he’ll make the cut.

“It would help me a whole lot because more people would have the opportunity to see the product in Walmart,” said the West Philadelphia native.

“You’re judged differently when you’re in big corporate stores.”

The placement of his 18-product line on Walmart shelves would help Hipp meet his goal of greater distribution. He wants his bacon, scrapple, sausage and pastrami products to become nationally known.

Hipp’s products are carried by large corporate supermarkets such as Acme, Fresh Grocer, Giant, Save a Lot and Shop Rite and about 500 small businesses throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Jersey.

“I would like to get into places that I’m not yet in,” said Hipp, whose business is located in the Olney section of Philadelphia.

Hipp’s foray in the food industry began in 1965 when he was hired by Sheinman Provision Co. as a meat cutter. While there, he learned the complexities of meat processing and sold kosher products to bars and neighborhood stores in African-American communities throughout Philadelphia.

Hipp decided to launch his own line in 1975. He realized the importance of establishing key relationships early on. He worked with various manufacturers to create his first two products, hot and mild beef sausage. Hipp received a $250,000 loan from the head of Sheinman and utilized the company’s equipment to make his products. He later attempted to manufacture the products on his own, but ran into some challenges as a small businessman.

“It was really hard, so it was much easier to form a partnership with other manufacturers — especially manufacturers who are doing very well,” said Hipp, who is member of the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.

He currently has four manufacturing partners, including Godshall’s, Kunzler & Company Inc., John F. Martins and Sons and Old World Provisions.

Hipp is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, an initiative to help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic growth by providing them with practical business education, business support services and access to capital.