AGI Denim Diversifies Offerings with LEED-Certified Apparel Park
Pakistan’s AGI Denim is growing its operations beyond jeans with an Apparel Park that will produce categories such as non-denim woven bottoms.
The manufacturer—whose customers include Gap Inc. and Kontoor—is investing $30 million for the first phase of this project, which will be a cut-and-sew facility that can produce up to 20,000 garments per day. Following this, phase two will add a laundry facility with a 20,000-unit capacity and an additional 10,000-piece sewing capacity.
AGI’s Apparel Park will be LEED Platinum certified, adding to the B Corp’s sustainable facility footprint. AGI previously established an end-to-end LEED Gold certified denim supply chain that covers spinning, weaving and garments.
A quarter of the energy for Apparel Park will come from solar panels that rotate to better capture sunlight. Further reducing energy usage, the facility will be fitted with LED lighting and large windows that allow for more natural light. Modern ventilation systems will also reduce energy expended to maintain a comfortable temperature.
Water use is also a focus of the Apparel Park design. AGI will harvest rainwater and recycle greywater, which will then be used for purposes such as domestic planting.
Apparel Park will also recycle textiles. A collection and sorting system will process post industrial waste for reuse, creating a streamlined circular path for discarded fabric.
Another sustainable aspect of the building’s design are green spaces, which take up 10 percent of the facilities’ total area, including parts of the manufacturing floor.
In addition to environmental sustainability, Apparel Park reflects AGI’s commitment to social responsibility. Supporting women’s empowerment and professional development, the park will have a dedicated floor that is 70 percent women. It will also support equal employment opportunities for all, including transgender individuals and individuals with special needs.
AGI Denim has been integrating Industry 4.0 technology into its factories, and Apparel Park is continuing this smart manufacturing strategy. Automated features include a sewing hanger system and automatic sewing machines that allow for both efficiency and eco-friendly production. Every piece that travels through the park will be barcoded and traced, and the facility is designed to allow garments to flow from one production step to the next seamlessly.