Tokyo-based zipper and fastening products manufacturer YKK Corporation has announced that the jurisdiction of its North and Central America Group headquarters, located in Marietta, Georgia, has been expanded to include YKK’s South America Group.

The new group is called “YKK Americas” and is led by Jim Reed, President of YKK Corporation of America and YKK Corporation Group Officer. John Smith, President of YKK (U.S.A.) Inc., has expanded his duties to become the YKK Americas Fastening Business Leader. The change is part of a global reorganization at YKK Corporation aimed at expediting communication and time to market while also ensuring proper governance. The leader of each regional group reports directly to YKK’s global president in Tokyo.

The YKK North and Central America Group covered eleven operating companies in Canada, the United States, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Colombia. The new YKK Americas Group covers five additional companies in Brazil, Argentina, and Chile and consists of a total of approximately 2,400 employees.

“The YKK Americas Group is committed to solving the most complex fastening and attaching challenges for our customers,” said Jim Reed, president, YKK Corporation of America. “This reorganization will help us leverage our regional engineering expertise, integrated production capabilities, and regulatory compliance to solve our customers’ problems quickly in a sustainable way.”

“My focus is on building a united Americas team than can meet the needs of each individual market,” said John Smith, President of YKK (U.S.A.) Inc. and YKK Americas Fastening Business Leader. “The depth and breadth of our knowledge of this region makes us well-positioned to support the growth of customers of all sizes and adapt to their evolving business needs.”