Marriott International said on March 10, 2016, that it would stock “Made in USA” towels and bath mats in every guest bathroom in nearly 3,000 U.S. hotels. The company said it was the first hospitality company to make that commitment.
Who makes them
Standard Textile is making the towels and bath mats with 100% cotton grown in the USA at its plants in Thomaston, Georgia, and Union, South Carolina. Marriott said the deal would create 150 new jobs at those plants, at Standard Textile’s Cincinnati headquarters and in its supply chain. USA Today reported that Marriott’s towels had been made in Jordan.
The numbers
- 2.6 million bath towels and 4.9 million hand towels a year
- up to 5.6 million pounds of textiles a year
- more than 300 ocean container shipments eliminated each year
“We also hope this sends a message to other businesses that buying locally can make business sense,” said Executive Chairman J.W. “Bill” Marriott Jr.
The towels were already in some hotels and were to roll out across Marriott’s U.S. brands, from moderate to luxury. CEO Arne Sorenson later told ABC News the switch would take about a year, as old towels wore out, and that savings on shipping would roughly offset the higher cost of making them in the USA.
Source & credit
Source: Marriott International via PR Newswire: “Marriott to Provide Customers ‘Made in USA’ Towels and Bath Mats in Its U.S. Hotels”, March 10, 2016.
Also: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Marriott creates 150 Georgia, S.C. jobs with ‘Made in USA’ towels”; ABC News: “Towels in US Marriott Hotels to Be Made in America”, April 2016.