For brushes, an historic sector of the company, it’s almost done with a production of over 100 million units a year; for the more recent packaging activity, for airless containers, make-up cases and mascaras, FSKorea is taking great strides. It can already boast producing one hundred million mascaras a year with FSKColour, its subsidiary created in joint venture, and the twenty three injection machines from one of its Chinese factories which was build from the ground up in 1995 are running at full capacity to provide, among others, the compacts.

Since its inception in 1988, FSKorea remains a model of its kind in terms of development. That year for example, the firm only employed 10 people, produced its first brushes in a tiny factory and achieved USD 230,000 in sales. The first customers, many of them from the Middle East, could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Four years later, the company’s profile is no longer the same. Customers are named Avon, Maybeline, Mary Kay, to name only a few, and the turnover has jumped to USD 6 million, just like the number of employees who was simply multiplied by ten. As a result, J.K. Hwang decides to build a second plant in 1995 of 3,000 sqm to manufacture both his make-up brushes but also brushes for nails and foot care items. The man starts putting on the market his first make-up cases manufactured in subcontracting. It will only take two more years for the third plant, also of 3,000 sqm and fully specialized in the manufacture of brushes, to see the light in China, this time in Taijan. So much so that in 2000 FSKorea achieves a turnover of USD 12 million and employes 400 people!

Named best global supplier of brushes!

But there is more to it! In 2005, a fourth factory for brushes emerges also in China, north of Beijing, and then a fifth one in 2007 where, this time, JK Hwang integrates ten injection machines. The year 2009 sees the installation in Seoul’s of the Research & Development Centre, and finally, two years later, the CEO of FSKorea decides to buy a metal processing plant that employs more than 150 people.

Phew! One would be tempted to say in the face of such a dynamic Industrial development. "You forgot to mention our factory in Belgium which opened in 2005 and is specialized in the manufacture of automatic eyeliners," adds JK Hwang, with a mischievous smile on his face, "which today produces ten million pieces per year!"

But where will he stop? 100 million brushes a year, USD 35 million in sales a year, 2,000 employees, with, as first overseas market, the U.S. followed by Europe... The plastic injection currently hosts 23 presses and the joint venture, FSKColor, produces 100 million mascaras a year. The R&D Centre, based in Seoul, with its twenty employees creates a new design each month and has just been singled out as the "best global supplier of brushes" by Korean authorities. And when, to conclude the conversation, JK Hwang announces the construction of a new plastic injection plant in the coming months..., who can we still be surprised?

And by the way, FSKorea will be attending the Make Up in Paris show next June. A word to the wise...