Pioneering a more agile, integrated supply chain with expansion into West Africa
On January 18, 2025, the first Star employees began preparing for operations at the company’s newest manufacturing facility in Togo, West Africa.
This state-of-the-art facility, located in the heart of Africa’s cotton belt, is the country’s first large-scale, export-focused apparel manufacturing center. By partnering with local mills, the Togo operations will create a more integrated supply chain—from locally cultivated cotton to finished garments.
Togo offers Star and its customers an agile, duty-free manufacturing base, reducing reliance on traditional supply markets and enhancing Star’s ability to adapt to shifting global trade dynamics. With its deepwater port and proximity to major shipping routes, Togo also shortens transit times to the U.S., improving responsiveness and delivery speed.
“We see Togo and West Africa as an ideal destination to present our customers with a farm-to-product storyline that few global destinations can offer” -A. Sukumaran, Managing Director of Star
As part of the International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Cotton-to-Textiles Value Chain Study, Star’s Togo operations aim to build an integrated regional textile supply chain across West Africa. This initiative reinforces Star’s commitment to driving process innovation and creating value in the global apparel industry.
“West Africa holds the potential to be a textile and apparel powerhouse given its substantial workforce, availability of cotton, and proximity to the largest apparel demand centers in the United States and Europe,” said Josiane Kwenda, IFC Country Manager for Togo. “IFC is proud to support Star to help support job creation, drive exports, and spur higher value manufacturing for Togo.”
The LEED-certified facility, located in the Plateforme Industrielle d’Adétikopé industrial park near Lomé, Togo, is expected to create 4,520 direct and indirect jobs, with a focus on providing economic opportunities for women.
The facility is slated to open at the end of January, with the first fabric cuttings set to begin in February.
