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Outdoor apparel retailer Patagonia made a big statement when the company announced it would cease doing business with Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, one of its most profitable partners and largest single customer in the Jackson Hole, WY area.
The news comes after one of the resort’s owners, Jay Kemmerer, held a GOP fundraiser on August 5 for U.S. Representatives Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), as well as for former Trump White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.
The event drew a negative response from a number of area residents, who showed up to protest and said others should stop patronizing the resort.
“It’s just a shame that it’s gotten to this point,” said Jorge Colon to WyoFile. He has worked various jobs in the region and, now in his 70s, cannot support the resort anymore. “I know they supply a lot of people with work, but to be backing up that group…is pretty embarrassing.”
For better context to this clash, note that 67.1% of the people in Teton County, WY (where Jackson Hole is located) voted Democrat in the last presidential election, and 29.6% voted for the Republican Party. By contrast, Donald Trump beat Joe Biden by 43% to win Wyoming, his largest margin of victory in any of the states.
“We join with the local community that is using its voice in protest.” Patagonia spokeswoman Corley Kenna said in a statement. “We will continue to use our business to advocate for stronger policies to protect our planet, end hate speech, and support voting rights and a strong democracy.”
In June 2020, the brand stopped advertising on Facebook and Instagram to boycott the popular social media for nonaction that it deemed as “complicit in spreading disinformation and fomenting fear and hatred.”
For its part, Jackson Hole Ski Resort appears unfazed and has not addressed Patagonia directly. Instead, it decided to speak about its commitment to offering high-quality equipment, environmentalism, and curbing any spread of the coronavirus among its visitors and staff.
“JHMR retail will continue to offer world-class brands across our retail locations with the aim to provide the best service and product assortment for our guests,” president Mary Kate Buckley said in a statement. “We have been a leader in the ski industry in adopting initiatives to reduce our energy consumption, recycle the consumables used by our employees and guests, and treat the spectacular natural habitat which surrounds us with vision and care… We will remain focused on operating a world-class mountain resort and protecting the health and safety of our guests and employees.”
