YKK: Difference between revisions

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The {{nihongo|'''YKK Group'''|YKKグループ|Waikeikei Gurūpu}} is a [[Japan]]eseJapanese group of manufacturing companies. AsThey are the world's largest [[zipper]] manufacturer, '''YKK''' Group is most known for making zippers; however, it also manufacturesproducing other fastening products, architectural products, plastic hardware and industrial machinery.

The initials '''YKK''' stand for {{nihongo|''Yoshida Kōgyō [[Kabushiki Gaisha|Kabushiki gaisha]]''|吉田工業株式会社|extra= lit. "Yoshida Manufacturing Corporation"}}, which was the name of the company from 1945 until 1994. YKK produces fasteners and architectural products at 109112 YKK facilities in 7170 countries worldwide.<ref name="YKK Corporate Profile">{{cite web|title=YKK Corporate Profile |url=http://www.ykk.com/english/corporate/group/index.html |publisher=YKK Corporation |access-date=April 18, 2013}}</ref>

===PreBefore World War II===

What would later become YKK operated initially as San-es Shokai and was founded by Tadao Yoshida in Higashi Nihonbashi, Tokyo in January 1934. The company specialized in marketing of fastening products. In February 1938, San-es Shokai was renamed to Yoshida Kogyosho. WWII was under way by 1939, and the next major corporate event would not take place until February 1942 when the company reorganized as a limited corporation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ykk.com/english/corporate/g_outline.html|title=HISTORY : YKK GROUP|publisher=Ykk Corporation|access-date=November 25, 2014}}</ref>

In January 1946, the company registered the YKK [[trademark]]. A major technological change came in 1950, when the company purchased a chain machine from the [[United States|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 November 1961, the product line was diversified to include aluminium 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]]. There was further expansion in the 1970s, 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. YKK also opened a fastener -making factory in [[SwazilandEstwatini]] which has grown to supply the entire sub-Saharan region, including Madagascar and Mauritius.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

More product lines became available with the ''Quicklon'' (sometimes called ''Cosmolon'') fasteners in December 1981. International and product expansion continued during the 1980s, 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 aluminium parts for buildings. The company was finally renamed ''YKK'' in August 1994.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

On September 19, 2007, YKK was fined €150.3 million by the [[European Commission]] for running worldwide [[price-fixing]] cartels and sharing markets with zipper-makers [[Prym]] and [[Coats plc|Coats]]. Coats of Britain and Prym of Germany were fined €122.4 million and €40.5 million respectively for their participation in cartel behaviour.<ref name="YKK fined">{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/consumerproducts-SP/idUSL1926941520070919|title=EU fines zipper-makers over 328 mln Euros for cartel|first=William|last=Schomberg|publisher=Reuters|date=September 19, 2007|access-date=November 25, 2014}}</ref> YKK lost its [[appeal]] to the [[General Court (European Union)|General Court]] on June 27, 2012.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ%3AC%3A2012%3A243%3A0013%3A0013%3Aen%3APDF Judgment of the General Court of 27 June 2012 — YKK and Others v Commission], [[Official Journal of the European Union]]</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=White |first=Aoife |url=http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-27/coats-and-ykk-lose-eu-court-challenges-over-antitrust-fines |title=Coats and YKK Lose EU Court Challenges Over Antitrust Fines |publisher=Businessweek |date=June 27, 2012 |access-date=November 13, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629231724/http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-06-27/coats-and-ykk-lose-eu-court-challenges-over-antitrust-fines |archive-date=June 29, 2012 }}</ref> It then launched an appeal to the [[European Court of Justice]] on September 5, 2012.<ref>[http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ%3AC%3A2012%3A343%3A0010%3A0010%3Aen%3APDF Appeal brought on 5 September 2012 by YKK Corp., YKK Holding Europe BV], [[Official Journal of the European Union]]</ref>

On August 26, 2013, YKK Corporation filed a patent infringement complaint in the Middle District of Georgia against [[Velcro]] USA Inc. of Manchester, New Hampshire, relating to a fastener strip used in foam moulded products like a cushion body used for an automobile seat.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC|title=YKK Corporation Files Patent Infringement Action Against Competitor Velcro USA|journal=The [[National Law Review]]|date=October 10, 2013|url=http://www.natlawreview.com/article/ykk-corporation-files-patent-infringement-action-against-competitor-velcro-usa|access-date=November 25, 2014}}</ref>

Architectural Aluminium products include fenestration systems for glass exteriors; entrances for commercial and institutional structures; Aluminium sunshades and residential windows. It is based in AustellAtlanta, Georgia, USA.<ref>https://www.ykkap.com/commercial/2023/06/ykk-ap-america-celebrates-opening-of-newly-expanded-commercial-and-residential-design-center/</ref>

YKK AP America Inc. manufactures entrances, store fronts, curtain wall, window wall, sunshades, windows and sliding doors for office buildings, residential high-rises, schools, stadiums, shopping centres and institutional structures.<ref name="YKK award">{{cite web|url=http://blog.freebairn.com/2009/08/ykk-ap-wins-design-award.html|title=YKK AP Wins Design Award: YKK AP Wins International Design Excellence Award With Aid Of Agency Video|publisher=Freebairn & Company|date=August 21, 2009|access-date=November 25, 2014|archive-date=July 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711024950/http://blog.freebairn.com/2009/08/ykk-ap-wins-design-award.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

As of March 31, 2020, YKK has manufacturing facilities in 7270 countries.<ref name="YKK Corporate Profile"/>

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