UNSPSC 52121700: Towels

UNSPSC 52121700 Towels is a Class code that encompasses towel and toweling products—terry cloth woven towels, bath towels, washcloths, and related textiles—sourced by state and local governments for operational use across correctional facilities, municipal departments, and state agencies. State and local buyers under this code include state departments of corrections, state correctional industries programs, and municipal procurement offices, with correctional facilities and prison industries programs appearing as repeat customers. The scope extends beyond single towel items to broader textile supply contracts that bundle towels with complementary fabrics and linens to serve institutional laundry and operational needs.

Recent activity concentrates in Michigan and Georgia, with Ohio also posting solicitations. The Michigan Department of Corrections has issued multiple RFPs for fabrics, clear vinyl, and bed and bath linens for Michigan State Industries, with proposals due March 31, 2026, covering bath towels (581,951 units across three years) alongside terry washcloths, pillowcases, and various knit and woven fabrics for distribution across 26–27 correctional facilities and warehouses statewide; the MDOC awarded the contract to Focus Sales & Marketing Group LLC (Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Business) at $422,609.62 and Spec-Tex Inc. at $3,240,966.00 following second-round price negotiations. Georgia Correctional Industries posted an open agency contract for terry cloth woven towels and toweling on April 13, 2026, with an April 21, 2026 response deadline and an April 17, 2026 addendum, requiring delivery within 30 days to the GCI Washington Textile Plant in Davisboro. Ohio issued wash cloths and bath towels solicitations (Solicitation 6920, March 23–24, 2026, and Solicitation 7096, June 24–25, 2026) with minimal detail available in procurement summaries. A Phoenix municipal heat relief supplies IFB (IFB-26-0046), posted March 17, 2026, included cooling towels as part of a broader five-year relief-goods contract but falls outside the code's primary institutional textile focus.