Japanese group YKK will start making zippers in Romania. Zippers are one of the products that have gained the group worldwide recognition. The investment is estimated at $10 million, with the plant to be built by yearend. The Japanese are thus trying to come up with an alternative to the imports of zippers, which amounted to 40 million euros last year.
"Production will effectively start sometime next year, after all the tests are successfully concluded," company sources said. According to the quoted sources, the Romanian-based plant will only work for the local market, where the Japanese group provides accessories to almost all the Romanian companies working for the international apparel brands, such as Steilmann, Hugo Boss, Levi's, Nike and Adidas.
According to YKK Romania officials, the investment was necessary because the local companies are now shifting from the lohn system to the next stage.
"We have had the so-called CM (Cut & Make) stage so far, namely the classical lohn system. The next step is Cut, Make & Trim, which means that the Romanian companies will no longer be mere providers of workforce, but will also offer more complex services, including part of the accessories, such as zippers and thread," YKK Romania officials also said.
Maria Grapini, president of the light industry patronage federation, shares the same opinion.
"Such investment projects are being run in several areas of textile production. Things have changed and now we just don't get all the production materials anymore. One such example is the corset elastic, which is also being made in Romania, not only imported," Grapini states.
In its turn, British group Coats opened a sewing thread factory in Romania, at Odorhei.
"Romania is no longer the country with the cheapest workforce in the area, so there's only one chance for this industry, namely better local integration," Grapini estimates.
Under the circumstances, the Romanian producers may reach maturity in the next 10-12 years.
"In Poland - deemed "Europe's tailor" until several years ago - or any other Central European country, local producers are already making their own RTU (ready-to-use) collections," YKK Romania officials add.
YKK opened a branch in Romania in 1998, with retailer YKK Romania having been established in 2001. As turnover doubled every year, the Japanese group decided to open a production unit, as well. YKK Romania posted turnover worth 40 billion ROL ($1.2 million) last year, and expects it to go up to 70-80 billion ROL (more than $2.3 million) in 2003.
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