Rockford-based Fire Department Coffee highlighted in Walmart’s new national ad campaign

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A new ad campaign from Walmart puts the story of Rockford-based Fire Department Coffee before a national audience.

The ad introduces company founder Luke Schneider and vice president Jason Patton as “two guys with a dream and a little help from Walmart along the way.” It builds on the partnership the local company started with Walmart in 2023, when it participated in the national retailer’s Open Call program and earned a golden ticket.

“I never would have imagined the opportunity that it provided us since then,” said Schneider, a retired firefighter and U.S. Navy veteran. “Walmart has empowered us to expand nationally and grow our company, which naturally grows our mission to serve communities in times of disaster, as well as support sick and injured firefighters.”

Fire Department Coffee is now available in more than 3,600 Walmart stores across the nation.

The new 30-second spot was unveiled Monday morning at the Rockford Walmart Supercenter, 7219 Walton St., on the city’s east side. It will begin airing today.

Mayor Tom McNamara, state Rep. Maurice West, members of GoRockford, and Rockford firefighters joined Rockford Department Coffee and Walmart to celebrate the local business’s growth and the national retailer’s effort to support small businesses.

“They are here in Rockford giving back to numerous organizations and making our city a better place,” McNamara said. “I don’t know if there is a better company that Walmart can look to to have in such an ad because you really have done everything that Open Call is really all about. You’ve hired more folks, you’ve taken buildings and made them productive, beautiful aspects, and you have done it in such a fantastic way. And on top of it you’re giving back to our first responders, who absolutely deserve it.”

Walmart says Monday’s event and the ad highlights its commitment to investing $350 billion in products that are made, grown or assembled in America by 2030. It says that investment will support 750,000 jobs.

The start of the ad also coincides with the last week to apply to participate in this year’s Open Call, which led to Fire Department Coffee going nationwide two years ago. The application deadline is Friday, July 25. The program will take place October 7-8 in Bentonville, Arkansas, where Walmart was founded.

“Walmart’s Open Call is more than an opportunity — it’s a launchpad for American entrepreneurs,” said Shane Bourke, regional vice president for Walmart. “With over two-thirds of our annual product spend going toward U.S.-made, grown, or assembled goods, we’re proud to help businesses like Fire Department Coffee reach new heights.”

The ad is part of Walmart’s “Who Knew” campaign, which started a month ago with a commercial featuring actor Walton Goggins (“The White Lotus,” “Fallout”) and a spin on music from The Who.

Fire Department Coffee was founded in 2016 with a mission to serve the community. Two years later, the veteran-owned business created a charitable foundation to support firefighters in need.

On Monday, Fire Department Coffee and Walmart presented a $10,000 check to the Rockford Fire Department for its peer support program.

“Our firefighters have daily trauma that happens to them on every single call, and that builds up over time. It not only affects our firefighters, it affects the families also,” said interim Fire Chief Brian Carlson. “We have a great team of peer support members here who work with our firefighters to provide them the support they need. … We’re working hard to keep our people healthy, not only physically but mentally because we need them to be sharp on every call.”

Fire Department Coffee has deployed one of its trucks to support first responders at a number of natural disasters, including the recent flash floods in Texas and tornadoes in London, Kentucky.

“We’re there to provide coffee and what other resources we can,” Schneider said. “We have a washer and dryer, a shelter, a shower.”

The truck also has a satellite communication feature to help firefighters stay connected to their families during emergencies.

Bourke said Fire Department Coffee “has become a symbol of resilience and service.”

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas