2020年SAT英语写作素材—山姆·沃顿

SamWalton(1918-)

Contrarytopopularbelief,SamWalton(thefounderofWal-Mart)wasnotfromArkansas.HewasactuallyborninKingfish,OklahomaonMarch29,1918.HewasraisedinMissouriwhereheworkedinhisfather'sstorewhileattendingschool.Thiswashisfirstretailingexperienceandhereallyenjoyedit.AftergraduatingfromtheUniversityofMissouriin1940,hebeganhisowncareerasaretailmerchantwhenheopenedthefirstofseveralfranchisesoftheBenFranklinfive-and-dimefranchisesinArkansas.

ThiswouldleadtobiggerandbetterthingsandhesoonopenedhisfirstWal-Martstorein1962inRogers,Arkansas.Wal-Martspecializedinname-brandsatlowpricesandSamWaltonwassurprisedatthesuccess.SoonachainofWal-MartstoressprangupacrossruralAmerica.Walton'smanagementstylewaspopularwithemployeesandhefoundedsomeofthebasicconceptsofmanagementthatarestillinusetoday.Aftertakingthecompanypublicin1970,Waltonintroducedhis"profitsharingplan".TheprofitsharingplanwasaplanforWal-Martemployeestoimprovetheirincomedependentontheprofitabilityofthestore.SamWaltonbelievedthat"individualsdon'twin,teamsdo".EmployeesatWal-Martstoreswereofferedstockoptionsandstorediscounts.Thesebenefitsarecommonplacetoday,butWaltonwasamongthefirsttoimplementthem.Waltonbelievedthatahappyemployeemeanthappycustomersandmoresales.

Waltonbelievedthatbygivingemployeesapartofthecompanyandmakingtheirsuccessdependentonthecompany'ssuccess,theywouldcareaboutthecompany.

Bythe1980s,Wal-MarthadsalesofoveronebilliondollarsandoverthreehundredstoresacrossNorthAmerica.Wal-Mart'suniquedecentralizeddistributionsystem,alsoWalton'sidea,createdtheedgeneededtofurtherspurgrowthinthe1980samidstgrowingcomplaintsthatthe"superstore"wassquelchingsmaller,traditionalMomandPopstores.By1991,Wal-MartwasthelargestU.S.retailerwith1,700stores.Waltonremainedactiveinmanagingthecompany,aspresidentandCEOuntil1988andchairmanuntilhisdeath.HewasawardedtheMedalofFreedomshortlybeforehisdeath.

Waltondiedin1992,beingtheworld'ssecondrichestman,behindBillGates.Hepassedhiscompanydowntohisthreesons,daughterandwife.Wal-MartStoresIncorporated(locatedinBentonville,Arkansas)isalsoinchargeof"SamsClub".Wal-MartstoresnowoperateinMexico,Canada,Argentina,Brazil,SouthKorea,ChinaandPuertoRico.SamWalton'svisionswereindeedsuccessful.