Bob Bernstock, president of the newly formed Vlasic Foods, knew that Wal-Mart was essential to his company. By 1998 it was well-established—not just at Vlasic—that a contract with Wal-Mart by definition was very important to a company’s growth and success. The scale of business that Wal-Mart promised companies was unprecedented given the size of its orders and distribution capabilities. Wal-Mart was able to go national with a new item in two weeks as compared to two months in many other chains.