The global apparel manufacturing landscape is witnessing a significant institutional reset, spearheaded by the Hong Kong-based Epic Group. The sustainable garment giant is reportedly evaluating a minority or majority stake sale that could value the enterprise at upwards of $500 million. Partnering with Goldman Sachs and BDA Partners, the company is positioning itself to capitalize on a resurgent Asia-Pacific M&A market, which has seen heightened interest from private equity firms looking for stable, high-output manufacturing hubs that merge massive scale with sophisticated ESG standards.
Strategic expansion into the Indian market and Industry 4.0
The potential capital raise arrives as Epic Group executes an aggressive $100 million expansion into Odisha, India. This ‘Made in India’ project, supported by a recent $100 million debt financing package from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), includes a massive 1.3 million square foot facility in Bhubaneswar. The first phase, scheduled for full operation in late 2025 and early 2026, is projected to generate $200 million in annual revenue and create over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. Beyond India, Epic is doubling down on ‘Factories of the Future’ in Jordan and Bangladesh, utilizing Industry 4.0 technology and RFID garment tracking to offer significant duty savings and speed-to-market advantages to its primary U.S. and Japanese client base- including Levi Strauss, Uniqlo, and Walmart.
Navigating decarbonization and vertical supply chain integration
The move toward a formal stake sale is heavily influenced by the firm's transition from a traditional trading house to a vertically integrated, tech-enabled powerhouse. Epic has committed to a 65 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per garment by 2030, a goal supported by the IFC’s sustainability-linked loan. By focusing on circularity and waterless dyeing technology, the group is insulating its margins from rising raw material costs and tightening environmental regulations in the European and US markets. This focus on ‘Better World’ manufacturing is proving to be a critical commercial differentiator, attracting investors who view decarbonization as a prerequisite for long-term profitability in the $1.7 trillion global fashion market.
Epic Group is a premier global apparel manufacturer founded in the 1980s. Headquartered in Hong Kong, it operates a network of world-class facilities across Bangladesh, Vietnam, Ethiopia, and Jordan, producing over 90 million garments annually. The group is currently scaling its presence in India with a $100 million flagship facility in Odisha. With a workforce of over 30,000 employees, Epic manages an estimated $2.2 billion in Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) and maintains a debt-efficient profile, recently securing its first green sustainability-linked loan from the IFC to fund net-zero initiatives.
