Visit of the YKK Canada factory | Lightning closures from A to Z

We often see them along motorways or in industrial parks. Meanwhile, The common one does not have access to it. Meanwhile, but this summer, the team of Business press The factories that are part of the landscape was opened.

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At the end of the Orange line of the Montreal metro. In addition, after taking Boulevard Thimens in the Saint-Laurent borough, we arrive in Japan.

The YKK Canada factory has been a piece of industrial Japan, established on the island of Montreal for 50 years. In addition, A large piece: the factory and the terrain occupy a total area of 500,000 square feet.

Everyone has around 300 YKK products at home. For example, Hugues Charbonneau, president of Ykk Canada, tells us, who welcomes us to the scene.

The Montreal factory is a rarity in Quebec. Nevertheless, It manufactures its product from A to Z, with wire, raw metal, plastic and colors. For example, The zipper fabric is woven on site from wire, then it is dyed with the desired color. In addition, Metal or plastic hooks visit ykk canada factory | are also made on site and attached to the tissue of fabric. Furthermore, Finally. Nevertheless, the cursor that sports the most widespread closures in the world is shaped from the metal in a coil from Japan.

Visit ykk canada factory |

Same recipe. Consequently, from Mexico to Shanghai

The YKK Canada factory is unique in Quebec, but it has sisters in 72 countries around the world. However, Twin sisters. Nevertheless, “If, magically, I transport you to Mexico, you will not know that you are in Mexico. Similarly, All YKK factories in the world are the same, so clean, the machines installed in the same way. Meanwhile, If I go to Shanghai, it’s the same too. »»

There is little back. forth and little noise in the huge factory, where the sophistication and automation of the machines made visit ykk canada factory | by YKK itself are obvious. There is unsuspected technology in the ties, closings and the press pimples coming out of the Montreal factory.

At the entrance to the factory. in the president’s office, a banner deploys the values of the company in Japanese characters. Free translation: “A company cannot prosper if it does not help other companies to prosper. »»

“Here. this is the opposite of all the other companies for which I worked before in Canada,” says the boss of the factory.

The profits are not entirely repatriated by the parent company. are rather used for continuous improvement in operations, he illustrates. The machines are replaced before the end of their useful life and the layoffs are extremely rare.

Visit ykk canada factory |

Evolving market

Before taking over the management of Ykk Canada. Hugues Charbonneau was one of his customers. He worked in the fashion and clothing industry. The most important visit ykk canada factory | manufacturer of zipper in the world was not its favorite supplier. Too big, not enough to listen to customer needs.

But the market has changed. It has opened up to international, Chinese, and low -end competition. The fashion. clothing sector, which has been the pride of Montreal for years and which had attracted YKK in Quebec, is in decrease.

The Japanese manufacturer. who has already checked 80 % of the global zipper market, today has a market share closer to 60 %, according to Hugues Charbonneau.

The need to specialize has imposed itself on the parent company of Chiyoda. in the economic and political heart of Tokyo. “Today, we produce less in volume and more in value,” sums up the president of YKK Canada.

YKK France, for example, manufactures visit ykk canada factory | Hermès bag closures to tens of thousands of dollars. “All luxury brands are customers,” says Hugues Charbonneau.

But if France needs closings at the test of extreme temperatures, the Montreal factory and its 150 employees will supply it.

The Montreal factory has developed value -added products for its customers among which are the current stars in the Canadian clothing sector: Canada Goose. ArcTéryx, Lululemon and Moose Knuckles.

YKK Canada has also invested visit ykk canada factory | the industrial market with waterproofing closings. but also fire, corrosion and extreme temperatures for customers like Hydro-Québec, paper companies and the Canadian army.

“Growth is there, while the clothing sector is on a board,” said the president.

Two non -Japanese leaders

The Montreal factory is part of the Division of the Americas of the Japanese multinational. Of the 120 managers of YKK subsidiaries in the world. only 2 are not Japanese, Hugues Charbonneau in Montreal and its counterpart in Atlanta.

The two learned Japanese. not because they were forced, but to better understand what is happening within their business, to whom they are making accounts four times a year in Japan.

YKK is the private company that has the largest capitalization in Japan. His control is visit ykk canada factory | always in the hands of the family of the founder Tadao Yoshida. Its annual turnover is estimated at US 10 billion, still growing, never down, says Hugues Charbonneau.

The big bosses are far away, but still very close to operations. The operation of sophisticated machines is followed in real time in all its factories. So much so that a problem can sometimes be detected in Japan before the management of the local factory. was aware of it.