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The Textile Magazine
JUly 2012
known for innovative
fastening solutions
corporate news
In the European region YKK is
mainly known as a manufacturer of
high quality zip fasteners. But the
worldwide market leader has much
more to offer than innovative fasten-
ing solutions for the textile industry
and retail. In the field of zip fasten-
ers nearly all YKK products meet
the human ecology requirements of
OEKO-TEX Standard 100.
Tadao Yoshida founded it in
January 1934 as an individual
company and began production and
sales of fastening solutions. In 1938
the company was renamed Yoshida
Kōgyō Kabushikigaisha, and YKK
was registered as a trademark as
early as 1946. Then, as now, the
company is known for its high-
quality zips all over the world.
Around 39,000 employees in 71
regions around the globe work in
development, production and sales
of a now very extensive product
range.
The products are manufactured
to the highest quality standards at
109 production facilities and branch
offices in Japan, North and South
America, Asia, Europe, Africa and
New Zealand. In addition to fasten-
ing technology the company also
provides solutions for private and
commercial architecture. Modern
window technology, front doors,
blinds, facade structures for high-
rise architecture as well as alumini-
um profiles for various applications
form the second pillar of the group
of companies.
These two sectors are supported
by a third company unit for me-
chanical engineering and technol-
ogy which has the exclusive and
specific aim of ensuring that the
two main sectors are permanently
competitive on the global market
with regard to leading technologies
and innovations through in-house
developments.
Perfection and quality
The company traditionally is one
of the leading manufacturers in
the field of fastening technology.
On the one hand this includes the
world famous YKK zips but also
a number of other fastening and
fixing solutions made of textile
material or plastic. The products
are mainly used in items from the
clothing and textile industry as well
as in the packaging industry.
Additionally YKK has estab-
lished itself as a manufacturer of
haberdashery, producing sewing
accessories such as ribbons and
threads, buttons or shoulder pads.
YKK invests a significant part of
its profits in perfection and qual-
ity, following the philosophy of the
Japanese company founder that suc-
cess is based on letting others share
your success.
This is equally true for YKK
Deutschland GmbH where a special
focus is placed on product quality
and quality assurance. The basis
for this is a consistently vertical
production system. Everything
from raw materials to the finished
product is manufactured in-house.
Even the machines are developed
by the company itself – a process
with which YKK ensures the high-
est quality standards. A consist-
ent investment concept is closely
connected to this idea: A significant
part of YKK’s profits goes towards
renewal and development, working
in close co-operation with their cus-
YKK