AM grows production capacity by 30%
Karachi-based denim manufacturer Artistic Milliners (AM) recently opened an LEED Platinum-certified garment facility constructed in line with Industry 4.0 and sustainability principles, as the company described it.
The result of a $60 million investment, the new smart production base, designed with the mill’s largest customers in mind, effectively boosts AM’s capacity by 30%.
Already in operation and shipping product, it is expected to reach full capacity (around 600,000 units per month) by the first three months of 2023, bringing AM’s total output to 43.2 million pieces per year.
Managing director, Murtaza Ahmed, commented: “The opening of this facility is an opportunity to put into practice our vision for the future of apparel production. We see this as a model factory, one where the latest technological innovations in efficiency and sustainability meet the best employment practices in terms of women’s empowerment and well-being."
The 46,000-square-metre site features 850-kilowatt solar panels, as well as advanced membrane bioreactor water recycling technology which will allow AM to reach a daily water recycling capacity of almost 7 million litres. Furthermore, the factory will only use Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) level one chemicals or higher.
Although all site processes have been automated, the new factory also boasts a 3,500-strong workforce, roughly 70% of which is female. The company said that it plans for 50% of middle managers to be women going forward, as part of a wider human resources strategy which aims to promote inclusivity and equality.
A rendering of the new facility in Karachi. Credit: Artistic Milliners
