Albert zips was founded in Belgium in 1946. Initially the activity of the company was to produce metal zippers for the manufacturers of leathergoods all over Europe. During the 1950s the product range was extended to include spiral zippers (a.k.a. coil zipper or nylon zipper) and moulded zippers (a.k.a. plastic zipper or vislon zipper). Much of the machinery required for this was designed and built by our own team of engineers and technicians.
Throughout the 1960s, as the leathergoods industry started to decline, the decision was made to move into the garment industry. While serving this sector, we also moved into more technical products for other industrial applications. By the 1980s we realized that we needed to create a corporate image. Up until this time, 95% of our production was unbranded, as this was a requirement of our wholesale customers. Consequently, we started to promote the 'A' brand.
Due to market conditions in Europe we took the decision in the late 1980s to build a factory in Morocco, as much of the garment production was starting to shift away from Europe. Throughout the 1990s we moved into the automotive sector, which led us to invest and develop the zip marking technology. This marking is still a key requirement within this specific industry. Albert zips is still heavily involved in this industry by supplying zippers for some of the world's largest car manufacturers. At this time, to increase capacity, we started to search for other like-minded zipper manufacturers in key garment producing countries. This resulted in a partnership with a long established and leading Turkish zipper manufacturer.
Over time, our customer base developed and we received more and more nominations from leading brands and stores. We identified the need to make our products available in Asia. As a result, we developed very close partnerships in China, Vietnam, India, and more recently Bangladesh. We went about a lengthy process of identifying and selecting partners. To ensure that we can satisfy the requirements of our customers producing in the region, we set up joint ventures with our partners. Besides having production units, Albert zips HQ is located in Hong Kong. This office centralizes all the information related to Asian operations with support of regional offices in Shanghai, Ho Chi Min City, Dhaka and Colombo.
Albert zips has a ongoing program of investment, development and modernization across the entire Albert zips group. Our investment strategy covers all aspects of the business such as technology, research and development, raw material evaluation and sourcing. In 2010 the Albert zips group had a total manufacturing area of around 70 thousand m2, a daily production of 1 million pieces, a staff of 1500 dedicated people, and a turnover of 40 million USD.