| Founded | Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Japan |
| Profit | JPY 3,828 million (2010)[1] |
| Total assets | JPY 689,593 Million (2010)[1] |
| Website | www.ykk.com |
The YKK Group (YKKグループ Waikeikei Gurūpu) is a Japanese group of manufacturing companies. As the world's largest zipper manufacturer, YKK Group is most famous for making zippers; however, it also manufactures other fastening products, architectural products, as well as industrial machinery.
The initials YKK stand for 吉田工業株式会社 (Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha), Yoshida Manufacturing Corporation.
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 one renders benefit to others.
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In 1935, a 24 year old Tadao Yoshida was working for a company producing zippers. While he was impressed by the product, his employer went bankrupt. In 1936 Yoshida founded the company that is today YKK in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. Originally known as Sanesu Shōkai (サンエス商会), it was renamed Yoshida Kōgyō-sho (吉田工業所) in February 1938, and became a Limited company in February 1942. The company received a setback in May 1945, when their Komatsugawa plant burned down. Nevertheless, the company prospered, and in August 1945 it acquired another company, Uozu Tekkousho K.K., and renamed itself to Yoshida Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha (吉田工業株式会社).
In January 1946 the company registered the now famous YKK trademark. A major technological change came in 1950, 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 to Chūō, Tokyo. In May 1955, a new plant was opened in Kurobe, Toyama. In August 1958, the headquarters was again relocated to Taitō, 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 November 1959, with the opening of its first overseas location, producing YKK zippers in New Zealand. YKK's first US office opened in New York City in 1960 and now is the country's top supplier of zippers and other fastening devices such as snaps and buttons.
In November 1961, the product line was diversified to include aluminum products for buildings. In June 1963, the company relocated its headquarters again to Chiyoda, Tokyo, the current location of the company. In 1966, a new product YZip was introduced, an extra strong and durable zipper for jeans. The development of a machine that automatically included the YZip zipper into the stitching process of jeans further increased sales, especially in the USA. In 1968 YKK opened its first branch in Canada. Its Canadian headquarters are currently in Montreal, Quebec. The 70s saw further expansion, with the opening of three new plants in Utazu, Kagawa in April 1972, in Sanbongi, Miyagi in June 1974, and in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto in February 1975, despite the material shortages due to the 1973 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 region including Madagascar and Mauritius.
More product lines became available with the Quicklon (sometimes called Cosmolon) fasteners in December 1981. The 80s also saw further international and product expansion, with a real estate business in Singapore in December 1984, an agricultural business in Brazil in January 1985, and a plant in Indonesia in September 1986 producing zippers and aluminum parts for buildings. The company was finally renamed YKK in August 1994.
In July 2000, the company established YKK Newmax Co., Ltd, specializing in the production of snaps and buttons. In December 2002, a machine company was established in Suzhou, China. A company specializing in sales, YKK Fastening Products Sales Inc. was established in February 2003. YKK AP Inc. was founded in October 2003, 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.
On September 19, 2007 YKK was fined 150.3 million euros by the European 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.[2] YKK has lodged an appeal.
Fastening products are the first and still the most important product of YKK. Within YKK, the company distinguishes between the Slide Fastener Division, the Textile and Plastic Products Division, and the Snap Fastener and Button Division.
Architectural Aluminium products include fenestration systems for glass exteriors; entrances for commercial and institutional structures; Aluminium sunshades; and residential windows.
YKK AP America Inc., based in Austell, Ga., manufactures entrances, storefronts, curtain wall, window wall, sunshades, windows and sliding doors for office buildings, residential high-rises, schools, stadiums, shopping centers and institutional structures. [3]
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.
YKK aims for vertical integration, and also produces the dyed cloth and the brass for its zippers.
YKK was mentioned in U.S. Rap/R&B Group OutKast's song, "So Fresh, So Clean".
YKK was also mentioned in U.S. Rapper GZA's song "Lyrical Swords" by Ras Kass.
YKK is humorously referred to as being an acronym for "Yōkoso KoKo", which in Japanese means "welcome here".
YKK has manufacturing facilities in 68 countries. YKK also has the world’s largest zipper manufacturing center located in Macon, Georgia, USA, where they have 1200 employees.[4]