CARTAGO, Costa Rica , Oct. 14, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Global Sae-A Group, the holding company of Sae-A Trading, one of the world’s largest apparel manufacturers, held an opening ceremony for its third spinning factory in Costa Rika in the 11th.
The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including President Rodrigo Chaves Robles of Costa Rica, Foreign Trade Minister Manuel Tovar, Korean Ambassador Keun Seok Jeon and over 80 buyers.
In his speech, President Rodrigo Chaves said: “This is an occasion to reaffirm once again the cooperative relationship we have built on trust, stability and mutual respect with Global SAE-A, which has played a central role in the development of Costa Rica.”
Sae-A Spinning’s newly completed third spinning mill is located in Cartago, about 20 kilometers southeast of the capital, San José. The facility has a capacity of 36,000 spindles and can produce 8 million kg of yarn per year. With this addition, the total capacity of Sae-A Spinning now reaches 106,000 spindles, providing an annual yarn production of 24 million kg. This expansion enhances economies of scale and positions the company to flexibly meet the evolving demands of its global customers.
Global Sae-A entered the Costa Rican market in 2015, establishing its own yarn production facility, Sae-A Spinning, which produces high quality yarn. The company achieved full vertical integration of the entire garment manufacturing process – from spinning, knitting, dyeing and sewing – a first for Korea’s garment OEM industry.
Over the last decade, Global Sae-A has invested USD 200 million in Costa Rica, starting with the operation of its first mill (34,000 spindles, 8 million kg of annual production) and followed by the completion of its second mill in 2022 (36,000 fingers, 8 million kg of annual production). With the completion of the third mill, Sae-A Spinning has tripled its production capacity and expanded its ability to produce a wide range of yarns in response to rapidly changing market trends.
Global Sae-A continues to explore investment opportunities in Latin America, in line with the growing trend of proximity, where buyers seek to position production facilities closer to consumer markets.
WK Kim, Chairman of Global Sae-A Group, commented, “With this expansion, we are optimizing CAFTA tariff benefits for duty-free exports to the US, further strengthening the global textile supply chain.” He continued, “Sae-A Spinning has been a leader in sustainability by using 100% US-grown cotton, ensuring traceable and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. We remain committed to maintaining our leadership through our traceability system, sustainability certifications and green manufacturing processes.”
Global Sae-A Group continues its growth as a global conglomerate, including the world’s largest apparel manufacturer and exporter Sae-A Trading, fabric manufacturer Wintex, sportswear manufacturing specialist Tegra, fashion brands In The F and S&A, as well as the highest ranked countries. international construction company Ssangyong Engineering & Construction, and corrugated paper and packaging company Tailim.
