SAE-A
Sae-A Trading is a Korean-headquartered, privately-held garment manufacturer founded in 1986 and operating as the core subsidiary of Global Sae-A Group. It is the world's largest apparel exporter with 40+ factories across 10+ countries, 60,000+ employees, and vertically integrated yarn-to-garment production serving global brands including Nike, GAP, and Walmart.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersYeoksamdong, South Korea
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What SAE-A does
Sae-A Trading Co., Ltd. (세아상역 주식회사) is a Korean-headquartered, privately-held garment manufacturer founded in 1986 by Chairman Kim Woong-ki and operating as the core subsidiary of Global Sae-A Group (글로벌세아그룹). The company is described as the world's largest apparel manufacturer and exporter, operating 40+ production factories across 10+ countries with approximately 60,000-70,000 employees and a daily production capacity of 2.5 million garments. Its global footprint spans South Korea (HQ in Seoul Gangnam-gu), Vietnam, Indonesia, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, the United States (Atlanta), and Haiti, with production structured around CAFTA-region nearshoring for US exports and Southeast Asia manufacturing for global supply.
Sae-A operates a vertically integrated supply chain spanning yarn production (Sae-A Spinning in Costa Rica, 106,000 spindles, 24 million kg annual capacity), fabric manufacturing (Win Textile in Indonesia, recently completed Coal-Zero biomass transition), and garment assembly across OEM and ODM models. Proprietary operational platforms include the Cotton Traceability System (integrated with ERP for ethical sourcing documentation) and the Sae-A Carbon Control System (SCCS) for greenhouse gas monitoring across 100+ supply chain partners. The portfolio was expanded in April 2024 with the acquisition of Tegra, a US-headquartered sportswear manufacturer serving professional, college, and high school athletics, followed by Swisstex El Salvador acquisitions in October 2025. ESG positioning is a core strategic pillar: SAE-A was the first Korean apparel company to receive SBTi Net-Zero target approval and holds CDP A-List supplier engagement rating.
The company generates revenue through transaction-fee apparel manufacturing and export contracts with global fashion brands and retailers, including Nike, GAP, and Walmart, with quote-based B2B pricing negotiated directly with brand customers. Distribution is direct-export to enterprise brand buyers, supplemented by Tegra's channels into professional sports leagues and college athletic programs. Group revenue reached KRW 3.3844 trillion (~USD 2.5B) in 2020 with 43% YoY growth and 179.6% profit growth, rising to approximately KRW 4.2 trillion in 2021. Beyond apparel, Global Sae-A Group includes Ssangyong Engineering & Construction, Sae-A STX Entech (plant/construction), Tailim Packaging/Paper, fashion brands (In The F, S&A), and S2A Gallery, plus the S&H School educational initiative in Haiti.
SAE-A firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SAE-A
- Legal name
- 세아상역 주식회사
- Website
- http://www.sae-a.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Sae-A Trading is a Korean-headquartered, privately-held garment manufacturer founded in 1986 and operating as the core subsidiary of Global Sae-A Group. It is the world's largest apparel exporter with 40+ factories across 10+ countries, 60,000+ employees, and vertically integrated yarn-to-garment production serving global brands including Nike, GAP, and Walmart.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SAE-A industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Textile Product Mills (314), Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130), Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949), Broadwoven Fabric Mills, Man Made Fiber & Silk (2221)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies (CRAAAAAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel (CRAAAEAE), Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD), Athleisure & Performance Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAE)
Keywords
Where SAE-A is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Yeoksamdong
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices10 records
Markets served
SAE-A business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Apparel Manufacturing and Export (OEM/ODM): Sae-A Trading generates revenue through design, manufacturing, and export of apparel products. The company operates on OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) models, producing garments for global brands like GAP, Walmart, and others. Revenue is generated through production fees, order fulfillment, and product sales.
- Acquisition of Tegra Operations: Sae-A Trading acquired Tegra's sportswear manufacturing operations in Honduras, El Salvador, and US to expand geographic presence in Western Hemisphere and accelerate growth trajectory as market leader.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Entry-level new graduate salary package |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
SAE-A product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SAE-A Trading is a vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and exporter that designs, produces, and ships garments under OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) models for global brands such as GAP, Walmart, and Nike. The company operates 40 factories across 10+ countries, producing 2.5 million garments per day, with full vertical integration spanning yarn spinning (Sae-A Spinning in Costa Rica), fabric production (Win Textile in Indonesia), and garment assembly. Its specialty sportswear manufacturing arm Tegra serves professional, college, and high school athletic apparel markets.
Product overview
SAE-A Trading operates as the world's largest apparel manufacturer and exporter within the Global Sae-A Group conglomerate. The company offers a vertically integrated manufacturing platform spanning the entire textile and apparel supply chain: yarn production (Sae-A Spinning in Costa Rica), fabric manufacturing (Win Textile in Indonesia), and garment production across 10 countries including Vietnam, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Haiti. The portfolio includes specialized sportswear manufacturing (Tegra, acquired 2024), construction and engineering services (Sae-A STX Entech), packaging solutions (Tailim), fashion brands (In The F, S&A), and cultural ventures (S2A Gallery). The group also operates Ssangyong Engineering & Construction and supports educational initiatives through S&H School in Haiti.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Tegra: Sportswear manufacturing company of Sae-A Trading, producing uniforms for professional, college, and high school athletes. Operates TEGRACARES CSR program.
Products and services
- Sae-A Trading OEM/ODM Apparel Manufacturing Global apparel manufacturing and export services under OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) models, producing garments for major global brands like GAP, Walmart, and Nike. Operates 40 production factories across 10+ countries with 2.5 million garments produced daily.
- Win Textile Fabric Manufacturing Vertically integrated fabric mill headquartered in Indonesia producing performance and lifestyle textiles for leading global fashion brands with strategic focus on sustainable innovation. Operates under Coal-Zero initiative using 100% biomass fuel (palm kernel shell).
- Sae-A Spinning Yarn Production Yarn manufacturing company operating three spinning mills in Costa Rica with combined capacity of 106,000 spindles producing 24 million kg of yarn annually, including 100% U.S.-grown cotton with traceable and eco-friendly production processes.
- Tegra Sportswear Manufacturing Sportswear uniform manufacturer developing and producing athletic apparel for global brands serving professional, college, and high school athletes and fans. Recognized as Nike's core factory partner at 2025 Global Factory Partner Summit.
Quantifiable outcome
- CDP 2024 Supplier Engagement A-List rating (top 1% of 22,777 companies assessed)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SAE-A
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
SAE-A technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
SAE-A partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Swisstex (El Salvador)coreSae-A Trading acquired Swisstex factory in El Salvador to expand production capacity and geographic presence in Central America as part of nearshoring strategy.
- WWF (World Wildlife Fund)minorSae-A Trading partnered with WWF for Zero Power Challenge campaign, engaging 270+ employees over 3 days to raise awareness about climate crisis and promote daily climate actions.
- EcocertminorSae-A Trading employees participated in Climate Fresk workshop organized by Ecocert, joined by FSC Korea and Ewha Womans University students to understand climate change causes and solutions.
- FSC KoreaminorFSC Korea co-hosted Climate Fresk workshop with Sae-A Trading and Ecocert to advance understanding of climate issues among textile industry stakeholders.
- K-Green FoundationcoreSae-A Trading collaborated with K-Green Foundation for PlasticEcoCycle campaign, upcycling 701.76kg of PET bottles collected from 89 public facilities in Jakarta into 6,200 T-shirts and teddy bears donated to local communities.
- Hyundai Motor GroupcoreHyundai Motor Group sponsors the PlasticEcoCycle campaign that Sae-A Trading supports through upcycling technology and production capabilities, converting plastic waste into apparel products.
- TegracoreSae-A Trading signed agreement to acquire Tegra's operations in Honduras, El Salvador, and US. Tegra is a sportswear uniform manufacturer headquartered in Atlanta, developing and manufacturing sports apparel for global brands serving professional, college, and high school athletes and fans. Integrated entities include Fjord, ArtFx, Southern Apparel Contractors, and Decotex. Closing expected April 2024.
- UNGC (United Nations Global Compact)coreSae-A Trading became member of UNGC in April 2024, committing to implement 10 principles across human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption. Company will submit annual COP (Communication on Progress) reports.
- SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative)coreSae-A Trading became first Korean apparel company to receive SBTi approval for Net-Zero targets, committing to 42% Scope 1+2 emissions reduction by 2030 and 25% Scope 3 reduction by 2030.
- FSC (Forest Stewardship Council)coreSae-A Trading joined FSC's Fashion Forever Green Pact, committing to use FSC-certified materials and recycled fibers in apparel production.
- Save the ChildrenminorSave the Children installed recycling bins at 20 schools and 89 public facilities in Jakarta, collecting plastic bottles for the PlasticEcoCycle upcycling campaign.
- CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort)coreGlobal Sae-A Group donated winter clothing worth USD 70,000 to Ukrainian refugees and children through CORE international aid organization. Group committed to establishing annual fund for Ukraine recovery efforts.
- KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)coreS&H School in Haiti was established with support from KOICA as part of post-earthquake reconstruction efforts in 2013. School has grown to serve 700+ students from kindergarten through high school.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SAE-A competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Li & Fung Limited: Hong Kong-based global apparel sourcing and manufacturing giant that supplies major Western brands. Directly comparable to Sae-A as a B2B apparel producer-exporter serving Nike, GAP, Walmart and similar enterprise customers with multi-country manufacturing footprint.
- Delta Galil Industries Ltd. Israel-headquartered global apparel manufacturer producing intimate apparel, activewear, and socks for brands like Nike, Calvin Klein, and Victoria's Secret. Comparable OEM/ODM model serving enterprise fashion brands with multi-country production and growing focus on sustainability credentials.
- Hansae Group: Korea-based apparel manufacturer with large-scale OEM/ODM operations in Vietnam and other Asian countries supplying global brands. Closest geographic and operational peer to Sae-A among Korean apparel exporters with similar customer base and capacity profile.
- Eclat Textile Co., Ltd. Taiwan-listed performance and athletic apparel manufacturer with manufacturing in Asia and the Americas serving brands like Nike, Under Armour, and Lululemon. Directly comparable to Sae-A's sportswear manufacturing operations including the recently acquired Tegra.
- TAL Apparel Limited: Hong Kong-based apparel manufacturer with global production network producing garments for major fashion brands and retailers. Directly comparable B2B apparel manufacturing business model with enterprise brand customers and multi-country production footprint.
- Shenzhou International Group Holdings: Hong Kong-listed largest knitwear manufacturer in the world supplying Nike, Adidas, Uniqlo, and other global brands. Closest scale peer to Sae-A in global apparel OEM by capacity, with comparable enterprise brand relationships and Asia-centric manufacturing.
- Esquel Group: Hong Kong-headquartered vertically integrated apparel manufacturer with operations spanning cotton farming, spinning, dyeing, and garment production across Asia. Comparable to Sae-A as a top-tier global OEM/ODM apparel manufacturer with end-to-end supply chain control.
- Makalot Industrial Co., Ltd. Taiwan-based apparel OEM/ODM manufacturer with production in Vietnam, Indonesia, and other Asian countries serving global apparel brands. Comparable manufacturing scale, geographic footprint, and customer base to Sae-A's apparel manufacturing operations.
- Crystal International Group: Hong Kong-listed vertically integrated apparel manufacturer serving global fashion brands across multiple product categories. Comparable OEM/ODM scale, customer mix, and geographic manufacturing distribution to Sae-A's operations.
Broad incumbents
- Hanesbrands Inc. NYSE-listed US apparel manufacturer and brand owner (Hanes, Champion, Bonds) with vertically integrated manufacturing including yarn and fabric operations in Central America and Asia. Comparable to Sae-A's vertical integration strategy, though Hanesbrands operates as a brand owner rather than pure OEM.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SAE-A social profiles
Digital presenceSAE-A compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance7 records
SAE-A financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SAE-A leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
SAE-A subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries10 records
SAE-A funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SAE-A M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A4 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SAE-A
What does SAE-A do?
SAE-A Trading is a vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and exporter that designs, produces, and ships garments under OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) models for global brands such as GAP, Walmart, and Nike. The company operates 40 factories across 10+ countries, producing 2.5 million garments per day, with full vertical integration spanning yarn spinning (Sae-A Spinning in Costa Rica), fabric production (Win Textile in Indonesia), and garment assembly. Its specialty sportswear manufacturing arm Tegra serves professional, college, and high school athletic apparel markets.
Is SAE-A a public or private company?
SAE-A is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was SAE-A founded?
SAE-A was founded in 1986. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is SAE-A based?
SAE-A is headquartered in Yeoksamdong, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does SAE-A make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Apparel Manufacturing and Export (OEM/ODM) is the primary driver. The others are acquisition of Tegra Operations.
Who are SAE-A's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Li & Fung Limited, Delta Galil Industries Ltd., Hansae Group, Eclat Textile Co., Ltd., TAL Apparel Limited, Shenzhou International Group Holdings, Esquel Group, Makalot Industrial Co., Ltd. and Crystal International Group. Hanesbrands Inc. is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does SAE-A have an API?
No public API is recorded for SAE-A.
What industry is SAE-A in?
SAE-A's product category is Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAAAN, Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies, with a secondary code of CRAAAEAE, Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel. Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 5130.