Case Study: Gildan Activewear

Schneider Electric Helps Gildan Identify Savings andSet Corporate Sustainability Targets

Apparel companies face increasing pressure from retailers and customers to reduce the energy use and

environmental impacts of manufacturing. Yet the increasingly global nature of the apparel sector means that

the largest producers face the daunting task of coordinating sustainability initiatives across a range of

facilities in numerous countries.

SituationGildan—the leading activewear brand in the screenprint market in the U.S. andCanada, and one of the world’s largest suppliers of socks to retailers in theU.S—owns and operates manufacturing facilities around the globe. In effortsto further reduce environmental impacts as well as continuing to develop itssustainability programs, Gildan felt the need to set corporate level goals forfurther reducing manufacturing impact. Though individual sites wereimplementing efficiency projects, the company wanted to better measurewhich initiatives were most effective or what impact they could achieve acrossa global portfolio of facilities.

LeadershipSchneider Electric worked with Gildan to focus on their largest manufacturingsite: a campus in Honduras where multiple production processes take place,meaning that findings would apply to other company facilities. We deployed ateam of engineers to identify resource conservation measures that woulddeliver energy and resource savings and cost reductions. Schneider Electricdelivered a final report that summarized the findings, projected potentialsavings at similar facilities, and suggested corporate-wide reduction potentialin support of Gildan’s target-setting efforts.

ResultsGildan’s investment paid for itself multiple times over: Schneider Electric’ssite assessment identified significant potential savings at the Hondurascampus, half of which were identified for immediate implementation. At ahigher level, the company gained insights into portfolio-wide savingspotential that could be used to set industry-leading goals. Based on thesuccess of the project, Gildan has engaged Schneider Electric to provideongoing performance monitoring support for the company’s sites, trackperformance and progress towards goals, and identify future opportunitiesfor improvements.

Schneider Electric’s ability to

understand our business and

uncover hidden savings and costs

exceeded our expectations. The

Sustainability Services team

examined every aspect of our

largest facility and proposed an

actionable project plan that resulted

in immediate and considerable

savings.

— Julie Cournoyer

Corporate Responsibility Manager, Gildan

Activewear

www.schneider-electric.com