Kwik Lok Corp. was founded in 1954 by Floyd Paxton when he invented that “funny little plastic clip.” Known as a Kwik Lok, the clip was invented to provide a fast, simple solution to quickly close apple bags on hand-bagging lines in Washington. The demand for the Kwik Lok closure continued to grow, requiring Paxton to expand his manufacturing capacity in the United States. Today, Kwik Lok is manufacturing closures in two plants in the United States, with other plants located in Canada, Australia, Ireland and Japan.

The demand for the Kwik Lok is still growing. The baking and produce industries favor Kwik Lok’s ability to offer a multifunctional recyclable product. The Kwik Lok is designed to not only securely close a poly or net bag, but also offers the consumer an easy-to-open package.

The plastic clip offers even more. Kwik Lok has addressed traceability and recall concerns by offering a wide range of printing options, including cold foil, laser, ink and thermal transfer solutions. Each option presents a wide range of printing capabilities to include real time display, 2D bar codes, best-before dating and plant code information, all available in one consistent easy-to-read location.

In addition, product manufacturers have expressed the usefulness of Kwik Lok’s ability to offer a pre-printed label attached to the ‘plastic clip,’ which can be used for introducing new products, coupons or cross-advertising programs. One recent program using the Kwik Lok closure label featured a thank you message for supporting the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Around the world, Kwik Lok will continue to be a leader in bag closing, bringing value and ensuring safety at the bag closing station.

Editor’s Note: Kwik Lok Corp., based in Yakima, Wash., provided information for this article.