Alpine Group, the textile and garment manufacturer, has confirmed that it will open a state-of-the-art “factory of the future” for its Alex Apparels company based in Egypt in response to the strong momentum it has secured in the region.

Alex Apparels, Alpine Group’s Egypt-based garment manufacturing division, will add an additional 10 million garments to its annual capacity in the country when the new factory opens in Q4 of 2022. It currently produces 24 million garments each year. The opening will also secure 2,000 additional jobs for the local community.

A highlight of the factory will be the co-creation spaces and an experimentation station, which Alpine Group states will facilitate a new level of design collaboration with global brands. Alpine Group is a longstanding partner to brands including Under Armour, American Eagle Outfitters and Abercrombie & Fitch.

Image rendering: Alpine Group

The move coincides with Alex Apparels being recognised by the Export Council of Egypt as the country’s number one exporter of apparel for 2021/22 and comes amidst record growth of 6.5 percent for Egypt’s export economy.

“We are delighted to be named Egypt’s number one exporter of garments,” said Ashok Mahtani, co-founder and chairman of Alpine Group. “Our strategic growth plans in Egypt are reflective of the country’s investment in export infrastructure. Additionally, its positioning as an industry-positive hub and duty-free access to the US and EU makes it an ideal location for brands and retailers to diversify their production and sourcing options.”

The new facility will be followed by the Alpine Group’s first knitting and dyeing mill in Egypt, which is due to be operational in the second half of 2023. The mill will offer polyester filament and blended fabric knitting, producing up to 75 tons of fabric daily, once phase two of the mill is completed.

The move will “bring fabric closer to needle through lean manufacturing, direct process automation, and a fully digital workflow from dyeing to cutting,” added the company.