The Talon Zipper company was the first

zipper A zipper, zip, fly, or zip fastener, formerly known as a clasp locker, is a commonly used device for binding together two edges of fabric or other flexible material. Used in clothing (e.g. jackets and jeans), luggage and other bags, camping g ...

manufacturing company. It was founded in 1893 as the Universal Fastener Company, manufacturing hookless fasteners for shoes, but a move to

Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The city is within of Erie and within of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 cens ...

led to it becoming the first manufacturer of zippers. The company flourished through the 1960s when it is estimated that seven out of every 10 zippers were Talon zippers ew York Times 12/7/1981

History

The Universal Fastener Company was founded in Chicago in 1893. It was later known as the Automatic Hook and Eye Company, and the Hookless Fastener Company, producing hookless fasteners for boots and shoes. The company later moved from Chicago to

Hoboken, New Jersey Hoboken ( ; Unami: ') is a city in Hudson County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 60,417. The Census Bureau's Population Estimates Program calculated that the city's population was 58,6 ...

, and finally to

where the modern

was invented and where it began to be mass-produced in the 1920s. The high demand for zippers created favorable conditions for the Talon Company, and zippers became Meadville's most crucial industry. The company flourished through the 1960s when it is estimated that seven out of every 10 zippers were Talon zippers ew York Times 12/7/1981 In 1968 the company was acquired by

Textron Textron Inc. is an American industrial conglomerate based in Providence, Rhode Island. Textron's subsidiaries include Arctic Cat, Bell Textron, Textron Aviation (which itself includes the Beechcraft, and Cessna brands), and Lycoming Engines. ...

industries and encountered significant difficulties competing with zippers manufactured abroad. By 1981 its market share had fallen to 35%, from its estimated peak of 70%. The company was sold in 1981 to Nucon Holdings for 66 million dollars and production was shifted to Mexico, but to no avail, and it was sold to private Mexican investors. In 1996 it was acquired by Tag-It Pacific, a company based in California, which changed its corporate name in 2007 to Talon International, Inc., and shifted production to Asia in an attempt to restore the company's fortunes.

Products

Zippers

* Metal * Vintage Zips * DrXTalon * Bottom Jean Zippers * Workwear : Work Zip * FR Zip, Flame Resistant * Plastic Molded * Coil * Electroplated Coil * Water Resistant: AquaTight Water Resistant coil zippers * KidZip * FootZip

Trims

Talon International pioneered the creation and implementation of complex trim outsourcing programs for large apparel manufacturers. * Paper Marketing * Labels * Metal Fasteners * Patches * Heat Seals * Tapes/Cords * Packaging

Tekfit

Tekfit is Talon's newest division. Tekfit incorporates the patented creation of stretch technology into complex garment solutions to create stretchable waistbands, collar stands, and more for major apparel manufacturers worldwide. Utilizing a unique patented process, garment manufacturers can now transform standard non-flexible fabrics into remarkable fabrics able to stretch, expand and then recover back to its original size.

Distribution

Talon zippers are used primarily by manufacturers in the apparel industry and are distributed through their distribution facilities in the United States, Europe, Hong Kong and China and through these designated offices to other international markets, including

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeast ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. In ...

Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making it ...

, Dominican Republic and Central America.

COVID-19 support

In April 2020, Talon International retrofitted its manufacturing facilities to provide medical and non-medical staff with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Talon supplies 3-ply face masks and face shields of medical grade, as well as cloth masks, gloves, alcohol wipes, hand sanitizers, and gowns for insulation. A part of PPE 's proceeds from the sales were to be donated to the organization Feeding America.

References

External links

Official Talon Zipper websiteOfficial DrXTalon website
Clothing companies of the United States Manufacturing companies based in Pennsylvania Meadville, Pennsylvania American companies established in 1893 Manufacturing companies established in 1893 {{US-manufacturing-company-stub