Corporate Information

History of the YKK AP

Architectural products business begins

1957-1989

Jul. 1957
Yoshida Shoji Co., Ltd. (now YKK AP Inc.) established in Nihonbashi Bakuro-cho, Tokyo.
Nov. 1959
Aluminum casting and extrusion work begin at the Ikuji Plant (currently Kurobe Plant) in Toyama.
Nov. 1961
Manufacture and sales of interior aluminum products and spandrels begin.
1962
Manufacture and sales of alminum window sashes for commercial buildings begin.
Apr. 1966
Manufacture and sales of alminum window sashes for wooden residential buildings begin.
Feb. 1969
Manufacture of various sash parts begins.
Mar. 1971
Manufacture and sales of entrance doors, sliding doors, and storm doors begin.
Feb. 1972
Operations begin at the Shikoku Plant in Kagawa.
Apr. 1974
Operations begin at the Tohoku Plant in Miyagi.
Feb. 1975
Operations begin at the Kyushu Plant in Kumamoto.
Dec. 1975
Manufacture and sales of exterior products (balconies, roof decks, etc.) begin.
May. 1976
Our first overseas affiliate, YKK Industries (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. (now YKK AP SINGAPORE PTE LTD), established.
Aug. 1976
Operations begin at the Ekko Plant (currently Kurobe Ekko Plant) in Toyama.
Sep. 1983
Manufacture and sales of vinyl sashes begin.
Jul. 1984
Manufacture and sales of insulating glass begin.
Sep. 1986
First overseas plant with an integrated production system, YKK Almico Indonesia (now PT YKK AP INDONESIA), established.
Jan. 1987
Manufacture and sales of aluminum siding products begin.
Jan. 1988
Manufacture and sales of steel doors begin.
Aug. 1988
The Architectural Products Department at YKK (U.S.A.) INC. established.
Mar. 1989
AP Business Division in YKK TAIWAN CO., LTD., (now YKK AP TAIWAN CO., LTD.) established.
May. 1989
Formed a technical alliance with H.H. Robertson Company's CUPPLES Products Division in the U.S.A. for commercial building curtain wall systems.
aluminum extrusion machine

Aluminum extruder installed in 1959

The founding of YKK AP

1990-2004

Feb. 1990
The company is renamed YKK Architectural Products Inc. (abbreviated as YKK AP).
Feb. 1991
Manufacture and sales of interior architectural products begin.
Apr. 1991
YKK AP AMERICA INC. established.
Aug. 1991
Acquired all issued shares of Kawachi Aluminum Industry Corporation (formerly YKK AP Exterior Corporation).
Nov. 1992
YKK AP Group Installation Cooperative established.
Apr. 1992
Operations begin at the Namerikawa Plant in Toyama.
Jan. 1994
Changed the trademark of building material products from "" to "".
Aug. 1994
Changed the names of YKK AP Group sales and processing companies to include "YKK AP".
Jul. 1995
Operations begin at the Kurobe Ogyu Plant in Toyama.
Feb. 1999
The profile products business (now industrial products business) initiated.
Dec. 1999
YKK AP Hong Kong Limited established.
DALIAN YKK AP CO., LTD. established.
Oct. 2000
Pros Inc. (a subsidiary) established.
Feb. 2001
YKK AP (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. (now YKK AP CO., LTD., China) established.
Apr. 2001
Merged YKK AP Group sales companies (except YKK AP Okinawa Inc.).
Feb. 2002
Agreed on business alliance with TOTO Corporation and Daiken Industry Co., Ltd. in the remodeling field.
Mar. 2002
YKK AP (SUZHOU) CO., LTD. established.
Aug. 2002
Merged 5 manufacturing subsidiaries: Tohoku YKK AP Industry Corporation, Kanto YKK AP Industry Corporation, Chubu YKK AP Industry Corporation, Hyogo YKK AP Industry Corporation, and Kyushu YKK AP Industry Corporation.
Oct. 2002
The company is renamed from "YKK Architectural Products Inc." to "YKK AP Inc." Became a wholly-owned subsidiary of YKK Corporation.
Dec. 2002
AP Business Division in YKK (CHINA) INVESTMENT CO., LTD. (currently YKK AP (CHINA) INVESTMENT CO., LTD.) established.
Oct. 2003
YKK's Architectural Products Manufacturing Group is integrated into YKK AP Inc. and the architectural products business of the YKK Group becomes a fully integrated organization.
Apr. 2004
Hokuriku PG Corporation (a subsidiary) established.
Jun. 2004
Unified the YKK AP brand and trademark worldwide.
President's inaugural press conference

President Tadahiro Yoshida's inaugural press conference in May 1990

From sash manufacturer to window manufacturer

2005-2010

Mar. 2006
The window business brand "APW" is launched
Apr. 2007
"Windowology", which is research activities to deepen our knowledge of windows, initiated.
May. 2007
Value Verification Center established.
Jan. 2008
YKK AP FACADE PTE. LTD. established in Singapore.
YKK AP (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. (now YKK AP China Co., Ltd. , China) established.
APW 330

The APW 330 launched in 2009

A company committed to products and manufacturing

2011-2022

Jul. 2011
Operations begin at the Saitama MADO (window) Plant.
Dec. 2011
YKK AP MYS. SDN. BHD established.
Mar. 2013
Acquired all issued shares of the remodeling company "Iwabuchi Inc.".
May. 2013
Acquired the business of Bhoruka Aluminum Ltd. (now Bhoruka Extrusions Private Limited) in India.
Jul. 2013
YKK AP FACADE VIETNAM COMPANY LIMITED (now YKK AP VIETNAM COMPANY LIMITED) established.
Oct. 2014
Acquired all issued shares of the Large-scale condominium renovation company "Ruxy Inc." (now YKK AP Ruxy Inc.).
Apr. 2015
YKK AP (THAILAND) CO.,LTD. established.
Apr. 2016
Merged 3 related subsidiaries: YKK AP Exterior Co., Ltd., Kyushu Exterior Kogyo Co., Ltd., and Hokuriku PG Co., Ltd.
"YKK AP R&D Center" established.
May. 2017
YKK AP R&D Center (Germany) established.
Aug. 2018
YKK AP R&D Center (Indonesia) established.
Mar. 2019
Partners Support Studio established.
May. 2019
YKK AP (CHINA) INVESTMENT CO., LTD. established.
Dec. 2019
YKK AP AMERICA INC. acquires all issued shares of Canadian curtain wall manufacturer Erie Architectural Products Inc.
Mar. 2020
Merged YKK AP (SHANGHAI) CO., LTD. into YKK AP (SHENZHEN) CO., LTD. and renamed it YKK AP CO.,LTD. (China).
May. 2020
YKK AP TAIWAN CO., LTD. established by splitting the AP Business Division from YKK TAIWAN CO., LTD.
Sep. 2020
Reorganized overseas AP business, and integrated capital relations and business operations of overseas affiliated companies into YKK AP.
Apr. 2021
Part of the YKK Machinery & Engineering Group is transferred and the Machinery & Engineering Department established.
Jun. 2021
Acquired all issued shares of the large-scale condominium renovation company Nitto Inc.
Jun. 2022
YKK AP Technologies Lab (NA) Incorporated established.
Saitama MADO Plant

The Saitama MADO (window) Plant began operations in 2011

Becomes a Global Leading Company.

2023-

Jul. 2023
YKK AP Technologies Lab (NA) Incorporated establishes "xTech Lab".
Dec. 2023
Acquired Thailand-based curtain wall company, YHS International Ltd., and its related manufacturing company, Siam Metal Co., Ltd.
Jan. 2024
YKK AP Healthcare Inc. established.
May. 2024
Acquired all issued shares of the aluminum sash manufacturer "Kanehide Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd.".
xTech Lab

"xTech Lab" established in the U.S.A. in 2023

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