Buzz
The YKK emblem represents a renowned zipper brand. Image by Shunsuke Onji/Getty Images.No, it’s not a hidden code or a symbol of superior quality. YKK is the name of a global company that manufactures zippers and many other items.
YKK was established in Japan in 1934 by Tadao Yoshida, initially called Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha, which translates to Toshida Company Limited in English. Yoshida created his own zipper-making machines. In 1994, the company adopted the simpler name YKK. Headquartered in Japan, the privately owned YKK Group includes 106 companies across 70 countries. YKK is responsible for producing the entire zipper, including the dyed fabric and the brass used in its creation.
YKK zippers can be found in the following items:
- Apparel
- Furniture
- Vehicles
- Luggage
- Sports gear
YKK manufactures over 7 billion zippers each year, which is about half of the global zipper production, according to Slate. It's the preferred brand for many designers because of its reliability. YKK also produces the machinery used to make these zippers.
The YKK facility in Macon, Georgia, produces over 5 million zippers daily, in 1,500 styles and 427 colors. It is the largest zipper manufacturing plant in the world. The factory creates its own brass for the zipper teeth and sliders and also dyes the yarn for the fabric portion of the zipper. Leveraging its expertise in metals, YKK has expanded into an aluminum building products division, which now accounts for two-thirds of the company's global sales.
Here's a brief history of the zipper: In 1891, Whitcomb L. Judson invented the "clasp locker," which used hooks and eyes and was designed to help people fasten their shoes one-handed, saving time and preventing back pain. In 1913, Gideon Sundback from Sweden developed the predecessor to today’s zipper, using metal teeth, and patented it in 1917. Sundback's design, the "separable fastener," was the first to be widely used. The B.F. Goodrich Company later named the fastener the "zipper" after incorporating it into rubber boots, as the boots could be fastened with one hand. Today, zippers are also made from plastic.
