Over the last few years, merger and acquisition (M&A) news has dominated headlines in the apparel decorating community. Big announcements like S&S Activewear acquiring alphabroder, Grimco acquiring GSG, and Lawson Screen and Digital and Workhorse Products merging have left the industry reorganizing and restructuring.
But perhaps one of the biggest announcements came in August 2025 with Gildan announcing its goal to acquire HanesBrands.
Both brands have long held staple positions as popular suppliers of apparel blank basics. Over the course of the last several years, both have also found themselves topping news in various ways (how could the industry forget the ruckus within Gildan after they fired CEO Glenn Chamandy and the ensuing battle that followed).
HanesBrands has also found itself making headlines, with struggling numbers and site closures rolling out over the course of the last few years. Still, both companies have remained particularly well-known due to affordable price points and longevity.
Like or not, there’s also been mergers and acquisitions happening on the decorator level as well. Early in 2025, PromoCentric announced that it acquired Screen Gems. All of this M&A news might leave many asking what does this mean for our industry? Is this a normal trend? How will the industry respond to what seems like heavy M&A activity?
Read the rest of this article on Apparelist, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
