[lbo-talk] Wal-Mart at Forefront of Hurricane Relief

[Keith Nybakke]

Of course, this is a public relations thing for WM. It's also part of 
WM's view of us vs. them, where they are taking caring of their 
employees (the us side of us vs. them) because that's what daddy 
WalMart does -- that's why it's just soooo good to be a WM employee.

But, there is something else going on, too. WM has one of the best 
logistics system in the world and they used it to good result in 
response to Katrina.

For many years they have used a lot of the money they don't spend on 
health insurance and overtime to create a massive sophisticated 
system for moving goods from factory to port to distribution center 
to retail outlet. For WM to fill a few trucks with carefully chosen 
merchandise is no more difficult that any of you putting three clean 
tee-shirts into a grocery bag.

I almost hate to say it, but WM could teach FEMA a thing or two about 
the logistics of staging and moving a precise mix of supplies needed 
in any type of situation.

KN