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Notices
New company name as of July 6th, 2011
Dear ladies and gentlemen,
Dear business partners,
since the beginning of July 2011 NIKO is a full member of the Ring International Holding AG. This makes us also legally a 100% RIH group member. Furthermore, we have converted Niko AG Zelezniki into a limited company.
What remains.
Due to the circumstances that only the name of Niko was changed, everything else persists. Your products will still be produced and distributed in and from the production plant in Zelezniki. The correspondent bank, bank account and tax number are still the same. You can reach of course your contact person at NIKO at the usual contact data.
What changes.
Our new company name as of July 6th 2011:
NIKO, d.o.o., Zelezniki
To assure that your mailings also reach us in the future, please incorporate the change in your correspondence with us from now on and please also inform your accounting department.
We are looking forward to a further excellent collaboration and thank you for your trust!
With kind regards,
Zelezniki, July 7th 2011
Rado Culibrk
Managing Director
Brand Name Through Time
lYear 1951
Productive Cooperative of Metallurgists
Author: Matevz Smid
Year 1954
Productive Cooperative of Metallurgists
Author: Drago Perkon
Year 1958
Factory of Metal and Electromechanical Products
Author: Niko Zumer
Year 1977
Metallurgic Company
Author: Peter Polajnar
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Company History |
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Zumer's mill
It was 1946. Sixteen members of a Cooperative signed the constitution for the establishment of Metallurgic Cooperative NIKO in the belief that they would preserve the several hundred years old tradition of ironworkers and nailmakers, and that they would renew and consolidate the industrial activity. The cooperative continued the already started production of office stationery (the first mechanical equipment was very modest: automatic machines for the production of paper clips, drawing pins, automatic machines for the production of staples, two presses and several hand tools), and general locksmithing.
Products in 1946 were: drawing pins, paper clips, staples, steel file compressors, lever arch mechanisms, kitchen-ranges and smoke control door. On their first days of operation, they manufactured only six mechanisms per day, but after six months of operation, they already manufactured 300 pieces per day.
Niko Racovnik
In 1947 the production plan was complemented with the production of document punchers, they started producing connector compasses, document sewers and other small office products.
The first turning point in the operation of the Cooperative was in 1949/1950 when the members of the Cooperative started conquering the production of laboratory apparatus, devices and precision compasses. In 1953 the conquering of this production program was expanded to instruments operating by means of rotation principle. This way a completely new orientation to the production of small electric motors was established and it became the leading orientation of the company.
In 1954 the Cooperative employed already 246 workers, it became important also in the Slovenian region, and therefore it obtained the permission to restructure their handicraft business to a company. It was renamed to NIKO – Factory of Metal and Electromechanical Products – Zelezniki.
In 1958 new production premises were built on the present location of Domel, into which the production of electromechanical program was moved, but the production of stationery line remained in the old premises.
Production industrialization was oriented only to electromechanical products and therefore the production program started narrowing. Small-scale laboratory equipment and drawing tools were eliminated.
In 1959 a new company was thus established - TEHTNICA Zelezniki, which took over the laboratory equipment and left the drawing equipment program to KLADIVAR Ziri.
In 1962 it lost its independence and was merged to the Iskra system, which is the leading Slovenian factory in the field of electromechanics and electronics. Iskra’s organization continued narrowing the production program and in Železniki they obtained the orientation to a mass production of small electric motors.
In 1963 ironmongery work – stationery was also eliminated from the production, and NIKO regained its independence. The new NIKO obtained the old working premises at Racovnik, and the production program comprised the production of lever arch mechanisms for files and folders, drawing pins, paper clips and staples.
Therefore, three companies now operate from this root: NIKO, ISKRA and TEHTNICA, which continue their work within the framework of their orientations; however, we also cooperated in the establishment and organization of companies such as Kemicna tovarna Podnart, Kovinoplastika Loz, Kladivar Ziri, Kolektor Idrija, Iskra Idrija.
NIKO has made the decision that the lever arch mechanism shall be the central, leading product and it shall be updated and produced with modern technology. The mechanism therefore obtained a new form and the galvanized coating was substituted by a commercially more beautiful nickel plated surface coating.
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Development of Mechanisms in NIKO |
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 At the end of the year 1946, the daily production of lever arch mechanisms was 300 pieces; however, when it regained its independence, it was 1300 pieces per day. Investing in mechanical equipment, introducing tools of its own construction and production, they steeply increased the production of lever arch mechanisms, and in 1970 they produced already 17.000 pieces per day, and in 1973 even 21.000 mechanisms.
During that time 15% of the production was already exported to Great Britain, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Austria, Australia and Italy. Lack of space was the main obstacle for further development, and therefore new functional production premises were built, and the production moved in 1977 to new premises on the present location. A year later a modern galvanic line for nickel plating was built, and thus good conditions were given for a steep rise of the company Niko among the top producers of lever arch mechanisms in Europe.
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Growth of the Sale of Mechanisms |
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Previous growth of mechanism production was based on increasing employment, upgrading of mechanical equipment and innovative contribution of employees. The contribution of indigenous knowledge is decisive, as the Tool Shop produces highly specialized tools for the production of component parts and assembly tools or assembly lines according to its own construction. The production of unique mechanical equipment provides competitiveness on the world market.
In 1990 Niko produces 16 million of lever arch mechanisms and the surface coating department is fully occupied. A new galvanic line of drums is needed, and a contemporary purification plant is built. The mechanism production is so operational that it develops and can increase by average 15% per year.
In 2006 the vision of the production development of 125 million pieces of mechanisms is set, and the realization is already nearing.
A few important events in the factory development.
· 1988 The first semi-automatic tool with a controller to assemble mechanisms.
· 1992 The first controlled pallet line for mechanism assembly.
· 1994 Acquisition of operations according to ISO standards.
· 1996 NIKO becomes a joint-stock company.
· 1998 Upgrading of the galvanic line of hooks and of the purification plant.
· 1999 Full automation of mechanism assembly (no more manual assembly)
· 1999 For the first time 50 million of mechanisms are produced per year.
· 2006 Introduction of the first robot workplace.
· 2006 The annual quantity of 100 million pieces is exceeded for the first time.
· 2006 After sixty years of operation, the billionth piece is produced, and for the first time 500.000 pieces are produced per day.
· 2007 NIKO covers 30% of the mechanism market in the EU.
· 2008 Robotisation of mechanism packaging.
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