- YKK Group
The nihongo|YKK Group|YKKグループ|Waikeikei Gurūpu is a
Japan ese group of manufacturing companies. As the world's largestzipper manufacturer, YKK Group is most famous for making zippers. However it also manufactures other fastening products, architectural products, and industrial machinery.The initials YKK stood for nihongo|"Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki-kaisha"|吉田工業株式会社.
YKK claims to be the first zipper company to promote environmental protection measures. YKK developed a line of environmentally friendly zippers, following the company's philosophy "The Cycle of Goodness" which means that one prospers when the person renders benefit to others.
History
Pre World War II
In 1932 Tadao Yoshida (then aged 24) was working for a company producing zippers. While he was impressed by the product, the company he was employed at went bankrupt. In
1934 Yoshida founded the company that is today YKK inNihonbashi ,Tokyo . Originally known as nihongo|"Sanesu Shōkai"|サンエス商会|, it was renamed nihongo|"Yoshida Kōgyō-sho"|吉田工業所| in February1938 , and became a Limited company in February1942 . The company received a setback in May1945 , when their Komatsugawa plant burned down. Nevertheless, the company prospered, and in August1945 it acquired another company, Uozu Tekkousho K.K., and renamed itself to nihongo|"Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushiki-kaisha"|吉田工業株式会社.After World War II
In January
1946 the company registered the now famous YKKtrademark . A major technological change came in1950 , when the company purchased a chain machine from the U.S. that allowed the automation of the zipper making process. Previously, YKK zippers were made by hand, and hence had an inferior quality compared to automated zippers from abroad.In March
1951 , YKK relocated its headquarters toChūō, Tokyo . In May1955 , a new plant was opened inKurobe, Toyama . In August1958 , the headquarters was again relocated toTaitō, Tokyo . In this year, the company also introduced its new "Conceal" brand that does not show the teeth of the zippers. Another major step came in November1959 , with the opening of its first overseas location, producing YKK zippers inNew Zealand . YKK's first US office opened inNew York City in1960 and now is the country's top supplier of zippers and other fastening devices such as snaps and buttons.Diversification
In November
1961 the product line was diversified to include aluminum products for buildings. In June1963 , the company relocated its headquarters again toChiyoda, Tokyo , the current location of the company. In1966 , a new product "YZip" was introduced, an extra strong and durable zipper forjeans . The development of a machine that automatically included the "YZip" zipper into the stitching process of jeans further increased sales, especially in the USA. In1968 YKK opened its first branch in Canada. Its Canadian headquarters are currently inMontreal , QC. The70s saw further expansion, with the opening of three new plants inUtazu, Kagawa in April1972 , inSanbongi, Miyagi in June1974 , and inYatsushiro, Kumamoto in February1975 , despite the material shortages due to the1973 oil crisis . Ykk also opened a fastener making factory in the Kingdom of Swaziland nestled between South Africa and Mozambique, which has grown to supply the entire sub-saharan including Madagascar and Mauritius.More product lines became available with the "Quicklon" (sometimes called "Cosmolon") fasteners in December
1981 . The80s also saw further international and product expansion, with areal estate business inSingapore in December1984 , anagricultural business inBrazil in January1985 , and a plant inIndonesia in September1986 producing zippers and aluminum parts for buildings. The company was finally renamed "YKK" in August1994 .The new Millennium
In July
2000 , the company established "YKK Newmax Co., Ltd", specializing in the production of snaps and buttons. In December2002 , a machine company was established inSuzhou ,China . A company specializing in sales, "YKK Fastening Products Sales Inc." was established in February2003 . "YKK AP Inc." was founded in October2003 , specializing in architectural products.Overall, the organization operates more than 123 affiliated companies in more than 70 countries representing some 270 plants and offices with some 37,000 employees.
Price fixing
On September 19,
2007 YKK was fined 150.3 million euros by theEuropean Commission for running worldwide price-fixing cartels and sharing markets with zip-makers Prym and Coats. Coats of Britain and Prym of Germany were fined 122.4 million and 40.5 million euros respectively for their participation in cartel behaviour. [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/consumerproducts-SP/idUSL1926941520070919 EU fines zip-makers over 328 mln euros for cartel] ]Products
Fastening products
Fastening products are the first and still the most important product of YKK. Within YKK they distinguish between the Slide Fastener Division, the Textile and Plastic Products Division, and the Snap Fastener and Button Division.
*Zippers
**YZip: Metal zipper, extra durable for jeans
**Ever Bright: Metal zipper, polished for visual appeal and corrosion resistance
**Excella: Metal zipper, polished and plated for visual appeal, also in different colors
**Conceal: Plastic coil zipper with no visible teeth
**Vislon: Rugged plastic zipper
*Hook and loop products, more commonly known under theVelcro brand name of a competitor.
*Plastic parts, including various types of clips andbuckle s
*Snaps and buttons, includingsnap fastener s and jeans buttonsArchitectural products
Architectural Aluminum products focus especially on windows and doors, YKK AP also has a wide array of curtain wall, storefront, and a sloped glazing system.
Machinery and Engineering
The Machinery and Engineering Group focuses on the development and production of machines, equipment, and dies, serving YKK Group with the Exclusive Machinery Division, Industrial Machinery Division, and Die Division. The Group plays a key role in technology development, and helps us minimize costs while maximizing efficiency to meet the changing, diversifying needs of the Fastening Products and Architectural Products Business Groups. The Group also demonstrates its capabilities in combining mechatronics and electronics technologies, with total engineering that takes full advantage of IT and system control technology.
Miscellaneous
YKK aims for
vertical integration , and also produces the dyed cloth and thebrass for its zippers.YKK gets a mention in U.S Rap/R&B Group Outkast's song, "So Fresh So Clean".
YKK is also the name of a New York City graffiti crew. It is believed to pun on the YKK name because as you see YKK on every zipper, you can see YKK members' work all over the five boroughs.
Facilities
Manufacturing facilities in 68 countries; the world’s largest zipper manufacturing center, at the Macon, Georgia facility they have 900 employees. [ [http://www.ykk-usa.com/ Home ] ]
References
External links
*en icon [http://www.ykk.com/english/ YKK Corporation homepage]
* [http://www.ykkamerica.com/ YKK America homepage]
* [http://www.ykkfastening.com/ YKK Fastening homepage]
** [http://www.ykk-usa.com/ YKK Fastening USA homepage]
* [http://ask.yahoo.com/20031121.html Ask Yahoo: What does the "YKK" on zippers stand for?]
* [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_209.html The Straight Dope: What does YKK mean on zippers?]
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