Esquel: A Chinese Shirt Company in Sync With the Environment

Setting an example is the crux of all learning and human development, and the Esquel Group is one of the first Hong-Kong based companies to take a stand on reducing carbon footprints by adopting a system that is in harmony with society and the environment. This is largely thanks to Marjorie Yang, tireless Chairwoman of the 31-year-old company known as the Esquel Group.

Esquel represents an amazing amalgam of both creativity and ethical business practices, which blend beneficially during the processes of producing and spinning cotton, weaving and dyeing fabric, manufacturing and packaging garments, and selling its products. Nearly 50,000 employees throughout the world gratefully adhere to a “Five-Es” corporate ethic, which includes: ethics, environment, exploration, excellence and education. Since the inception of its special program, Esquel has been a shining star in a universe determined to go green responsibly.

Esquel’s accomplishments have not gone unnoticed and the company has won numerous awards from governments, associations and business partners
for its high-quality products, fulfillment of social and environmental responsibilities and technological innovations.

According to Marjorie Yang:
“Esquel strives to be an honest, reliable and trustworthy company, especially at a time when products made in China face a confidence crisis in European and American markets. The company’s good reputation has won the group advantages in recruiting outstanding employees. In turn, they have offered Esquel brilliant ideas in pursuing its vision of being a responsible, trustworthy and eco-friendly company. Esquel is a business that is "green" and capable of growth. Its vertically integrated operations ensure the highest quality in every step of the apparel manufacturing process.”

In total, the company has invested more than $50 million in energy-efficient and eco-friendly projects over the past decade. According to Ms. Yang, Esquel spent about $13 million on cottonseed cultivation, sewage treatment, improvements to the dyeing and weaving processes, and adoption of the radio-frequency identification technology to record and trace data on bales of cotton it purchases from farmers.

The company has several manufacturing sites throughout China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Some of Esquel’s customers include the world's best-known brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger, Hugo Boss, Brooks Brothers and Nike, and major retailers such as Marks & Spencer Group, Plc and Nordstrom Inc.

Go, Esquel, and may we all learn from your fine example.