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Marriott Partners with USDA to Provide Assistance and Mentoring
to Minority Farmers to Facilitate the Purchase of their
Food Products into the Marriott Distribution System

 
WASHINGTON, March 31, 2004 - Marriott International, Inc. (NYSE: MAR) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced a historical partnership that will provide additional assistance to the minority farming community. Both organizations will work to enhance outreach efforts to minority farmers and provide expanded sales outlets for their products.

"We're very proud to be part of this program," said William J. Shaw, President and Chief Operating Officer, Marriott International. "This is the beginning of an alliance that promises tremendous benefits to all, especially the U.S. minority farmer. Marriott looks forward to working with the farming community and the USDA to build on this relationship."

Under the agreement, Marriott will work with the USDA to identify minority farmers in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern states that will benefit from opportunities to provide products to the hospitality industry. In addition, Marriott will provide training, technical assistance and mentoring to these identified farmers, facilitating the introduction and purchase of quality food products into the hospitality distribution systems.

Marriott International, the first hospitality company in the world to establish a formal supplier diversity program, today spends more than $150 million a year with over 10,000 minority and women-owned businesses.

In recent years, Marriott has received honors for its diversity efforts from numerous organizations, including DiversityInc., Hispanic, Latina Style, Working Mother and Fortune magazines, as well as the NAACP, National Minority Business Council and Black Meetings & Tourism.

Marriott International is a leading worldwide hospitality company with over 2,700 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories.

Contact


Marriott International, Inc.
www.marriott.com

 
Also See: NAACP Lodging Industry Report Card 2003; Foremost Problem Facing African-Americans: Property Ownership / July 2003
NAACP 2002 Lodging Industry Report Card; Marriott Out-scores 10 Other Lodging Chains / July 2002


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