The coveted green jacket might be made in Ohio, but it's cut from Georgia cloth.
For three decades, Cincinnati-based Hamilton Tailoring Co. has made the traditional blazer worn by Masters Tournament winners. It uses wool fabric produced at the Victor Forstmann Inc. mill in the central Georgia town of Dublin.
Hamilton Tailoring's chairman, Ed Heimann, last purchased the emerald fabric in 1990, according to the plant's records.
The 500-yard roll Mr. Heimann bought is enough to make 200 green jackets.
``That's a lot of jackets,'' Dublin plant manager Dorsia Atkinson said. ``That's why he hasn't ordered any in awhile.''
But the custom apparel maker could be running low. Mr. Atkinson said account records note Augusta National Golf Club informed the company in 1997 that Hamilton Tailoring would need to order another roll sometime this year.
``We sent them a letter saying we wanted to continue being their supplier; they said they will be needing some cloth in 2000,'' Mr. Atkinson said.
A phone message left on Mr. Heimann's voice mail was not returned Friday.
His company takes about a month to produce each three-button, single-breasted blazer, which is fitted with custom brass buttons inscribed with the Augusta National logo.
The famous green coat is available only to Masters winners and Augusta National members. Mr. Heimann told the Cincinnati Post the Augusta National accepted his offer to make the custom jacket about 35 years ago.
``We were formed in 1909,'' he was quoted as saying. ``And I'm a golf nut, so the fit is natural.''
The wool used to make the fabric is imported from several countries, primarily Australia, Mr. Atkinson said.
Victor Forstmann, one of Dublin's largest employers, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Victor Woolen Products Ltd. of Quebec, Canada. The New York-based textile manufacturer was known as Forstmann & Co. before last year's acquisition, which helped it emerge from Chapter 11.
The company, which once operated wool worsting and weaving plants in Louisville and Milledgeville, filed for bankruptcy protection after its third straight year of losses.
Ohio firm fashions jackets from Georgia cloth