The YKK stands for Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha (say that five times fast). In 1934 Tadao Yoshida founded Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha (translated Yoshida Industries Limited). This company is now the worlds foremost zipper manufacturer, making about 90% of all zippers in over 206 facilities in 52 countries. In fact, they not only make the zippers, they also make the machines that make the zippers; no word on if they make the machines that make the parts that make up the machines that make the zippers.
Their largest factory in Georgia makes over 7 million zippers per day.
In any event, Mr. Yoshida’s company zipped to number one by practicing the “Cycle of Goodness”, as he called it. Namely, “No one prospers unless he renders benefit to others.” Using this principle, he endeavored to create the best zippers out there that would hold up over long periods of time in the end product. This in turn would benefit both the manufacturers who used his zippers and the end customer and because of these things benefit his company with higher repeat and referral sales, thus completing the “Cycle of Goodness” *zen moment*
So next time you’re zipping up, take a moment to remember Mr. Yoshida; also, if you’re going commando, careful with Captain Winky on the zip up. I can’t stress that enough.
I just checked the zipper on my jeans and sure enough YKK.
I always wanted to know what that means
Dude. YKK here too.
A girl I dated long ago was the grand-daughter of the founder of the world’s largest pants button manufacturing company. Its based in mexico.
There’s no YKK on AE jeans.
Love the photo.
The zipper on my pants says GAP. I guess I’m part of the 10%.
Well thank GOD his name was not Koshida !!!
I thought it was the Youth Klux Klan
I have read that most, um, “zipper incidents”, are caused on de-zipperring, rather than zipperring, as we would think.
I wish more companies, (banks, cell phone providers, car manufacturers, the list is endless) would practice the “Cycle of goodness”. It seems like a no-brainer to me.
Mee Too!
I used to be in textile manufacturing and YKK was the premier supplier of zippers. Often we would get specs in specifying YKK zippers, not generic zippers. I know this may sound odd, but that’s one of the first things I look for in clothing. I know that if it has a YKK zipper, chances are good the designers spec’d the piece to be quality all the way around.
I always thought about it was a mellenium reference to Y2K (“Y” plus two “k”s).
Thanks for enlightening me.
That’s an interesting perspective, Sander.