Bristol’s American Merchant Weaves Success with Bath Towels, Rep. Griffith Tours Facility Bristol’s American Merchant Crafts American Made Bath Towels, Welcomes Rep. Griffith to their Facility
BRISTOL, VA– Tucked away in Bristol, Virginia, American Merchant is an avant-garde facility that adeptly transforms raw yarn into luxurious bath towels. Utilizing 100% American cotton, the weaving, dyeing, and final crafting processes all occur within this state-of-the-art plant.
Growth and Market Presence
Since initiating its towel shipments back in 2020, American Merchant has witnessed a surge in demand. David Ortega, the plant manager, expressed delight at the progress, “We’ve seen our business increase over the last year. We have started up a weekend weaving shift“, said Ortega.
Currently, the company employs 53 employees having recently added a second shift. Ortega, however, doesn’t just look at numbers when evaluating the company’s performance. “Maybe people didn’t know about American Made bath towels… How many people honestly look where a towel is made?“, he pondered.
Congressman Morgan Griffith Tours the Facility
Congressman Morgan Griffith of Virginia got a firsthand look at the bustling plant. Griffith, who finds factory tours informative, was eager to learn the process and engage with the team. To him, facilities like American Merchant are pivotal for economic development.
Outlining his experience, Griffith said, “With that Made in America, they are only one of two in the country, so if you buy it, there’s a good chance you are buying from right here in Bristol… They buy all kinds of American products, so you have American products, you have American workers, and it just helps all the way around. It helps us as a community to have jobs like this and facilities like this.“
Emphasizing the ‘Made in America’ Label
Both Ortega and Griffith express hope that consumers will become more conscious of their purchases. They believe that consumers should consider the provenance of their products and appreciate the value of ‘Made in America’. “
“It’s good to see American products being made in the United States of America,” noted Griffith. “A lot of times, people go to the store and they are just looking at prices, they are not looking at the fact that maybe their neighbor down the street helps to make these towels, and maybe they should be looking for that Made in America.”
The fervor to educate consumers coupled with the continuous commitment towards crafting quality products continues to propel American Merchant towards success. As the Bristol-based company crafts its success story one bath towel at a time, it also diligently weaves the ‘Made in America’ narrative into the fabric of the American economy.