It is quite likely that lots of the people reading this will get up out of their chair, step away from their computers and put down their laptops, stop studying, working or relaxing and head for the nearest closet to try and find a zip with the enigmatic inscription YKK. We can save you the trouble of rummaging through the garments that are hanging tidily in the wardrobe and advise you to keep reading instead. We can guarantee that there will be at least one piece of clothing with a zip fastener that has a YKK marked on both sides. The question that remains is, what is YKK – some sort of symbol or logo? Both answers are correct; in fact, it is an acronym. YKK stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha, which literally translates as Yoshida Manufacturing Shareholding Company. This is a company that was created in Tokyo by Japanese entrepreneur, Tadao Yoshida, as far back as 1934 to specialise in the production of zippers for denim, trousers, jackets and sweatshirts.
These were an essential part of fashion even as styles changed over the years, with the zip remaining popular and essential from the early 20th century right up to the present day. The letters YKK are placed on every zip that Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha sells and distinguishes their high quality originals from cheap imitations. From the 1970s onwards, Yoshida Kogyo diversified the company into other types of fastenings, along with architectural products and manufacturing machinery, but it has still retained its original and highly profitable product base of zippers. The company’s success was due in a large part to Mr Yoshida’s business philosophy, which he called the 'Cycle of Goodness.' CONTINUE ON THE NEXT PAGE …This was based around the idea that ‘nobody prospers unless he renders benefits to others’ and meant that by producing zippers of the very highest quality, YKK would also enhance and benefit the garments they were used in. While companies in places such as China produce cheaper but inferior zips that are often used in inexpensive clothing, top fashion designers and garment manufacturers regularly choose to pay a little extra for YKK zips. YKK’s consistently high standards produce zips that last longer and do not fail, which gives peace of mind and means that a garment costing hundreds or thousands of dollars will not be rendered useless due to zipper failure.
Today, Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikigaisha is a multinational company that is still based in Tokyo but also has a presence in 56 other countries, where it has 237 manufacturing plants, commercial facilities and administrative offices. YKK entered the US market in 1960 and today their largest factory is in Georgia, USA. The company numbers are impressive, with around seven billion zips of every colour, shape and size produced every year. YKK accounts for well over half of the zips produced in the entire world and their products are sold in at least 71 different countries. YKK keeps production in-house, making the raw materials that go into the zippers, such as brass, yarns and polyester, as well as the machines that are used to manufacture the zips. The company is run today by Yoshida Kogyo’s son, Tadahiro Yoshida.
The company’s billing data and assets are also impressive. In 2008, for example, Yoshida Kongyo Kabushikigaisha achieved a record turnover of 672.6 billion yen, which is equal to about 5.43 billion US dollars. From jackets and jeans to suitcases and handbags; if a high quality product is fastened using a zip, then it is extremely likely that those who look closely will find the three little letters, YKK.
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