Walmart heirs are creating STEM college and it will be located near the company's HQ
Steuart and Tom Walton are expected to announce the launch of their private university Thursday at the Heartland Summit in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart is headquartered, Axios reported.
The yet-to-be-named college focusing on science, technology, engineering and math will have an inaugural class of roughly 500 students, 'growing to about 1,500 undergraduates and 500 non-degree learners over time,' the report said.
'The school will offer stackable, flexible credentials aligned with fast-moving, in-demand fields such as computing, technical management, automation and logistics, and biomedical technology,' the school's announcement said.
Steuart Walton, who is also a member of Walmart's board, told Axios that education 'should move at the speed of innovation. This institution will stay agile and grounded, built to meet the world as it changes.'
'We have the opportunity to build a new model of higher education, designed for the realities of today's economy and the challenges of tomorrow, and set a new standard for what's possible," he added in a news release.
His co-founder, Tom Walton, noted: 'Our granddad, Sam Walton, built Walmart from Bentonville. There's no reason the next great enterprise can't rise from here, too.'
Steuart and Tom Walton said in 2022 that they would buy Walmart's old HQ and surrounding parcels for about $60 million. Earlier this year, Walmart opened a new headquarters in the same city. It sits on 350 acres and its cost has not been disclosed.
A mixed-use development, which will include the new STEM school, is currently planned for the site.
The STEM college is the latest philanthropic effort from the Walton family, who have invested in art museums, a medical school and other development projects in the region over the past 20 years.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
1 Robotics Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist Right Now
Key Points The robotics revolution will transform global commerce within three years as artificial intelligence (AI) enables fully autonomous warehouse operations. Symbotic's 40% revenue growth and blue chip customer base demonstrate the company is already capturing a meaningful share of the $25 billion warehouse automation market. With $955 million in cash and proven ROI for customers like Walmart, Symbotic offers immediate revenue growth from solving today's supply-chain crisis. 10 stocks we like better than Symbotic › The robotics revolution isn't coming in a decade. It's arriving within the next three years. While investors debate humanoid robots and artificial general intelligence (AGI), a more immediate transformation is unfolding in warehouses across America. Labor shortages have reached crisis levels, with unfilled logistics positions doubling since 2020. E-commerce complexity has exploded, with consumers expecting two-day delivery on millions of stock-keeping units (SKUs). And artificial intelligence (AI) has reached the sophistication needed to orchestrate autonomous operations on a massive scale. One company stands at the epicenter of this transformation, turning warehouse chaos into algorithmic efficiency, while generating real revenue growth that makes speculative robotics plays look like yesterday's news. The warehouse automation juggernaut Symbotic (NASDAQ: SYM) brings AI-powered robotics to a $25 billion problem: warehouse inefficiency. The $28 billion company posted $550 million in Q2 fiscal 2025 revenue, up 40% year over year, while improving adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) to $35 million from $9 million. Unlike speculative robotics plays, Symbotic serves blue chip customers today. The company's acquisition of Walmart's (NYSE: WMT) Advanced Systems and Robotics business, completed in Q1 fiscal 2025, deepens a relationship with the world's largest retailer. When Walmart sold its internal robotics division to Symbotic, it validated both the technology's superiority and the partnership's strategic importance. Where humans fear to tread Traditional warehouses represent the last frontier of manual labor in the supply chain. While manufacturing automated decades ago, distribution centers still rely on humans walking miles per day, lifting heavy boxes, and working in environments that range from freezing to sweltering. The average warehouse worker walks 12 to 15 miles per shift -- a physically demanding job that few people want. Symbotic's AI-powered robots don't just replace human pickers. The company reimagines the entire warehouse as an integrated system where robots handle storage, retrieval, and sorting with superhuman efficiency. Products move through Symbotic warehouses five to 10 times faster than traditional facilities, with 99.9% accuracy rates that eliminate costly shipping errors. The technology creates a network effect. As Symbotic deploys more systems, its AI learns from billions of picks across different environments, continuously improving performance. Each new installation makes the next one better -- a compounding advantage competitors can't match without similar scale. The path to a $100 billion market The warehouse automation market stands at $25 billion today, with credible projections showing it reaching $85 billion to $110 billion by the mid-2030s. This represents a 3.5x to 4.5x growth opportunity over the next decade. This expansion is driven by concrete factors. First, e-commerce penetration continues to grow, requiring more sophisticated fulfillment infrastructure. Second, the current automation penetration rate in warehouses remains below 5% globally, with industry analysts projecting this could reach 15% to 20% by 2035. Major market research firms, including Precedence Research and Grand View Research, project the market will grow at 15% to 18% annually through 2034. This steady growth reflects both the massive opportunity and the practical constraints of deploying complex automation systems at scale. Symbotic is well-positioned to capitalize on this expanding market. Its existing partnerships with industry leaders like Albertsons and C&S Wholesale Grocers, along with a firm backlog of nearly $23 billion, provide a strong foundation for capturing future growth. The company's expansion strategy within existing accounts offers additional runway. Once retailers achieve 30% to 50% reductions in operating costs, automation typically spreads from pilot facilities to entire networks. With Walmart operating over 200 distribution centers in North America and Symbotic deployed in a fraction of them, the growth potential within current customers alone remains substantial. Reality check on robotics Symbotic faces legitimate challenges. System deployments require 18 to 24 months from contract to full operation, creating lumpy revenue recognition. The technology works best in high-volume facilities with predictable SKU mixes -- limiting applicability to smaller operations. Competition from established players like Amazon subsidiary Kiva Systems and start-ups flush with venture capital intensifies quarterly. But these concerns pale against the fundamental labor crisis facing logistics. The American Trucking Association reports 80,000 unfilled driver positions, and warehouses face increasingly alarming turnover rates. Wage inflation in logistics outpaces every other sector, and automation becomes essential for business continuity when human workers simply can't be found. The warehouse automation window For investors seeking robotics exposure, Symbotic scans as a compelling vehicle. The company generates real revenue from solving immediate business problems, and its technology delivers proven return on investment (ROI) that CFOs can model. Most importantly, Symbotic operates in a market where automation represents survival, not speculation. The robotics revolution arrives in waves. Warehouses automate first because the economics are irresistible. Manufacturing follows, as collaborative robots become more sophisticated, and eventually, humanoid robots may handle complex consumer-facing tasks. But investors need not wait for that distant future. Symbotic brings the robotics revolution to market today, with the revenue growth and customer validation to prove it. In a sector filled with promises, profits matter more than potential. For investors ready to capitalize on the automation imperative, the opportunity won't last long. The robots are already at work. The only question is whether your portfolio will benefit. Should you invest $1,000 in Symbotic right now? Before you buy stock in Symbotic, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Symbotic wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $665,092!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $1,050,477!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 1,055% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 180% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of July 21, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. George Budwell has positions in Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Symbotic, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. 1 Robotics Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist Right Now was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
Archer and Anduril are "deep in the work" on secretive VTOL aircraft
Archer Aviation and Anduril Industries are "deep in the work, building stuff," for their hybrid-power vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, the former's CEO, Adam Goldstein, told Axios. Why it matters: Very little has been shared about the project, which was initially described as targeting a potential Pentagon program. What they're saying: "I think the U.S. and its allies have an increasing demand for autonomous and attritable assets, especially big flying things," Goldstein said in an interview on the sidelines of the Reindustrialize conference in Detroit. "The need is very near-term for this stuff. The question is: How much of it can you build?" Catch up quick: The companies announced their exclusive partnership in December. At the time, Goldstein told Axios: "You can imagine things that helicopters do are the things that we're building toward." Flashback: Archer most recently raised $850 million. It disclosed the funding ahead of the Paris Air Show, where it displayed its Midnight aircraft.
Axios
2 hours ago
- Axios
How investors affect Columbus' housing market
Over 7% of Columbus-area homes sold in Q1 2025 went to institutional investors, straining our already strapped housing market. Why it matters: Investors like hedge funds, private equity firms or real estate investment trusts often buy homes in cash and in bulk — outcompeting average families, especially first-time homebuyers. The big picture: Columbus' share is about 1 percentage point higher than the national rate (6.3%), per a report from real estate firm ATTOM. The data measures entities that purchased at least 10 residential properties in a calendar year. Sales have been trending downward nationally since a pandemic peak, but they're holding steady locally. Between the lines: Markets attractive to investors have strong population and job growth, solid rental yields, landlord-friendly regulations, affordability and long-term appreciation potential, ATTOM CEO Rob Barber told Axios. Columbus is one of the top U.S. markets for "mega investors," per a 2023 Urban Institute study. Zoom in: A recent Dispatch investigation found that six national companies control more than 6,000 Columbus-area homes. The corporate landlords: American Homes 4 Rent, Amherst, FirstKey Homes, Progress Residential, Starwood Capital and Vinebrook Homes. American and Vinebrook have been active here for over a decade and were initially focused on the inner city, while the others entered our market during the pandemic and are targeting suburban neighborhoods. Friction point: Carlie Boos, executive director of the Affordable Housing Alliance of Central Ohio, told the Dispatch she's concerned investors are inflating prices and limiting inventory. Company representatives noted they own just a fraction of all homes and said they're expanding rental opportunities for families that can't afford to buy in nicer areas. What we're watching: State lawmakers have introduced bills aiming to curb institutional investor activity in recent years but haven't made progress.
