CNBC Television published this video item, entitled “Meg Ham, Food Lion president: Our supply chain is strong and rubust, and we have ample product” – below is their description.
Meg Ham, Food Lion president, discusses how the company secures food for its stores, partnerships with farmers and the products that are the most difficult to obtain. For access to live and exclusive video from CNBC subscribe to CNBC PRO: https://cnb.cx/2NGeIvi
President Joe Biden hosted the CEOs of several major retailers at the White House on Monday to discuss administration efforts to tackle global supply chain bottlenecks, and to reassure Americans that goods will be on shelves for the holidays.
Joining Biden in person from the tech sector were Etsy CEO Josh Silverman and Samsung CEO KS Choi. The grocery sector was represented by Food Lion president Meg Ham, Todos Supermarket CEO Carlos Castro and Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen.
Other retailers in attendance included Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz, Best Buy CEO Corrie Barry and David Rawlinson, CEO of Qurate Retail Group, which owns brands like QVC, Ballard Designs and Zulily.
Walmart CEO Doug McMillon and CVS Health CEO Karen Lynch attended the meeting virtually.
“The business leaders gathered here today represent a broad swath of American shopping,” Biden said in his opening remarks. “I want to hear from each of you about what you’re seeing this holiday season, how well prepared are you to have products you need on your shelves, and how you’ve innovated and hired to overcome these supply chain challenges you have.”
In particular, Biden said, he hoped to hear about the challenges facing small businesses and about how the federal government could continue partnering with retailers to help them keep shelves stocked.
The first CEO to speak was Ham, who said Food Lion’s supply chain was “strong and robust, and we have ample product inside of our stores.”
She credited the company’s own supply chain and its early planning with vendors and local farmers with helping the company stock stores across 10 states with fresh food and produce.
Next, Biden asked McMillon of Walmart if there had been any improvements in the rate of its goods flowing through ports as a result of recent actions by the administration.
The White House first created a Supply Chain Disruption Task Force in June and tapped John Porcari to be the group’s Port Envoy in August. This fall, the administration worked closely with the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to help them expand their operating hours and reduce the long line of ships waiting to unload cargo in the ports.
McMillon said Walmart had seen a 26% increase in throughput at ports nationwide in the past 4 weeks, with an even higher rate of increased flow through, 51%, at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
Earlier this month, the administration rolled out a second series of steps it is taking to address cargo backlogs at major ports, including $4 billion worth of construction at coastal ports and inland waterways. This work, led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, is slated to begin within 60 days.
After the roundtable, Biden was initially scheduled to deliver remarks on what his administration is doing to “strengthen the nation’s supply chains, lower everyday costs for families, and ensure that shelves are well-stocked this holiday season,” the White House said Monday morning.
But those remarks were abruptly postponed until Wednesday. A White House official said the last-minute schedule change was because Biden “wanted to ensure ample time spent with the business leaders who traveled to the White House today.”
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