top of page

Greece

Our production location in Greece not only scores points as a popular holiday destination with turquoise blue beaches, delicious food and countless islands, but can also proudly look back on a huge textile history.


The history of the textile industry in modern Greece is linked to the first attempts to industrialise the country in 1870. Since the foundation of the Greek state in 1830, the country developed mainly as an agricultural and trading country. Until the Second World War, the main centres of the textile industry were Athens, Piraeus, Lavrio, Edessa, Naoussa, Thessaloniki, Patras and Ermoupolis on Syros. The textile industries of Edessa and Naoussa have existed since the 18th century thanks to the waterfalls, while Piraeus and Thessaloniki developed as ports and transhipment points between Europe and the Middle East thanks to their geographical location.


The strong growth of the textile sector then took place after the end of the Second World War with the establishment of large companies. Over the years, the textile industry was then limited to the urban centres (Athens and Thessaloniki) and their surroundings.

 

Then, in the late nineteenth century, a garment industry developed, especially in northern Greece. In the last five years, the turnover of the Greek textile sector has increased tenfold, with internet sales in particular experiencing tremendous development. This has significantly helped the Greek textile industry to become a globally recognised supplier of different types of textile products to various international markets.


Greece is also the most important cotton producer due to its ideal geographical location for growing cotton, with 80% of the European cultivated area. Spain (mainly Andalusia) ranks second with a share of 15%.

The US Department of Agriculture estimates that Greece will produce 283,000 tonnes of cotton in the 2020/21 season.


Greece textile

About the textile sector in Greece

The textile sector in Greece accounts for 23 % of total exported goods and 47 % of exported industrial products, and contributes 28 % to the country's industrial production. The gross value of production accounts for about 3.5 per cent of total industrial production in the EU, with apparel exporters in Greece valued at about €35 billion. At EU level, the sector employs more than two million people in around one hundred thousand companies. This makes the Greek textile market a significant part of the country's economy.


In recent years, the Greek textile market has focused on the production of high-quality textile products due to intensifying competition and the associated relocations to low-wage countries. Here, customers appreciate the high quality, manufacturing readiness, short transport routes, fair working conditions, a high degree of flexibility and technical expertise.



Another key aspect of the Greek textile industry today is the sustainable sector. The Greek agricultural sector is a perfect location to realise projects such as the "Supreme Green Cotton®" or to grow organic cotton and to monitor and keep the supply chains close.


The "made in Greece" seal stands for high quality textiles, fair working conditions, complete (domestic) value chains, sustainable and conscious use of materials and years of experience in the textile world.



 

Comments


bottom of page