YKK R&D Center. Photo: YKK

The company plans to increase its production capacity by 40 per cent in the fiscal year through March 2021 compared with fiscal year 2017.

YKK Vietnam Co., YKK’s local subsidiary, built the plant at the Dong Van III Industrial Zone in the northern province of Ha Nam, some 40 km south of Hanoi, with total investment of $59.9 million.

Adding to its existing plant in the southern province of Dong Nai, the new 51,000 sq m site will shorten delivery times to garment makers in Vietnam’s north.

It is also expected to respond to garment production shifting from China to Vietnam.

The parent group opened an R&D Center at YKK Vietnam last year, which brought its number of development sites to 36 (eight of which are R&D centers) and its number of R&D personnel to 945 as at the end of 2018.

Aside from zippers, YKK also makes other fastening products, like hook and loop self-closing tape fastening systems, webbing, and metal and plastic notions and buckles. It also produces aluminum building products, like windows and entrance systems for low, medium, and high-rise applications.

In the FY2019 business policy, the group’s sales are to be boosted in the US, China, and Asia region, with a goal of reinforcing its foundations and expanding to target markets.

YKK Vietnam was established in 1998, as the tenth fastening company in the ASAO (ASEAN South Asia & Oceania) region. With the assistance of its valued customers, business partners, and employees, the company has been expanding its business activities.

YKK was founded in Japan as a zipper manufacturing company in 1934 by Mr. Tadao Yoshida. In the early years, Mr. Yoshida’s company carried his name and was called Yoshida Kogyo Kabushikikaisha, or “YKK” for short.

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