Humble Origins

From our small humble beginnings in the coastal town of Jinjiang in China, SBS Zipper (original name: Jinjiang Hualian Zipper Factory) has grown to be one of the world's most important players in the zipper market. 

SBS Zipper was founded in 1984- a whole half century later than our close competitor, the YKK Group of Japan. Despite our relative youth, we currently dominate the zipper manufacturing industry in China and is second in the world when it comes to zipper production volume.

Though initially known among mass market brands for our relatively competitive zippers, our product range has expanded to include the castings and precision molds of the zippers themselves, as well as a whole range of zipper products and accessories. And unlike other manufacturers, SBS Zipper is directly involved in all aspects of zipper production- from research and innovation, to manufacturing and design. Each step of the production process (i.e. proofing, dyeing, electroplating, precision testing, etc.) is done in-house in all of our five manufacturing bases in China. 

Global Transition

In the early 1990s- after a decade of success in our home country- we finally set our sights on the larger global market. Our original name of Jinjiang Hualian Zipper Factory was renamed to SBS Zipper, with the "SBS" referring to the brothers and sisters in the family that founded it. This name change also exemplified the whole culture of our company, one that is wholly based around family management. Eventually, this family-centered managerial culture becomes the cornerstone of SBS Zipper's transition to a global brand. 

A Wider Strategy

In the fashion industry, zipper manufacturers jockey for position in capturing various price markets. To widen our reach and to make our products more competitive in the global arena, we have finally turned our sights into the higher end luxury market by dedicating a lot of resources into research and development. Through our in-house R&D team, we have managed to amass more than 380 patents. This, in turn, paved the way for SBS Zipper to acquire high profile brands like Giorgio Armani and Mango as clients. 

Building an Overseas Legacy

Of course, in line with our strategy of further strengthening our position as a global player in zipper manufacturing, the next frontier for SBS Zipper is to take advantage of the burgeoning apparel and textile industries in developing countries such as India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan. These countries already have a tight relationship with China in regards to textile exports. Instead of being viewed as competition and rivals in the industry, a partnership with textile companies in the aforementioned countries would be of mutual benefit to all parties involved. 

India, in particular, has been consistently viewed as a key step in the global expansion strategy of some of the world's major fashion brands, although India commands only five percent of the world's textile-apparel market (compared to China, which controls 40 percent, more than one-third of the global market). 2015 saw the entry of two prominent brands, H&M and Gap, into the Indian market, with many more popular clothing companies approaching in the horizon. 

Baby Steps

We have seen the potential of gaining market ground in Asian neighbours like India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Though SBS Zipper has already been a primary exporter of zippers to these countries, maintaining in-house offices in them has the potential to forge deeper business relationships among the countries' textile industry players. 

SBS Zipper has established a liaison office in Bangladesh. We also have similar offices in Pakistan and Vietnam.

Though at first glance, these may seem all like baby steps, but venturing into manufacturing/marketing partnerships with other countries can result only into a more lively competitive market. It can further strengthen SBS Zipper's position as a zipper powerhouse in the future. 

Visit sbs-zipper.com to learn more.

References

1. Businessoffashion.com

2. Sbs-zipper.com