SAE-A

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.

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

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

• Apparel manufacturing
• OEM garment production
• ODM apparel design
• Vertically integrated textiles
• Yarn spinning manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

Yeoksamdong

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Swisstex (El Salvador)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Sae-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)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Sae-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.
• EcocertminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Sae-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 KoreaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025FSC Korea co-hosted Climate Fresk workshop with Sae-A Trading and Ecocert to advance understanding of climate issues among textile industry stakeholders.
• K-Green FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Sae-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 GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Hyundai Motor Group sponsors the PlasticEcoCycle campaign that Sae-A Trading supports through upcycling technology and production capabilities, converting plastic waste into apparel products.
• TegracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Sae-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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2024Sae-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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sae-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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Sae-A Trading joined FSC's Fashion Forever Green Pact, committing to use FSC-certified materials and recycled fibers in apparel production.
• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Save 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Global 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013S&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

Direct 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

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@saeacareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sae-a-trading-america
• Xx.com/saeatrading
• Facebookfacebook.com/SAERECLUTAMIENTO

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A4 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SAE-A