UNIKO Trading, Inc. started its business around 15 years ago, in June of 1992, with the company motto of “Sincerity and Credibility.” Its name, Uniko, came from “Unity Korea.”

2006 was a memorable year for Uniko. In April, the company moved to a new location in Hackensack, NJ. In the new facilities, with 26,000 sq. ft., Seong Sam Hong, president, and all employees endeavor to meet increasing orders from customers all over the states. In October 2006, Uniko joined AHIA (American Hairgoods Importer Association) as a new member.

Hong praises his young employees for their loyalty to both the company and customers. He explains his management philosophy as, “The customer comes first.” He would like to improve customer relationships from mere supplier-demander links. “Mutual prosperity can be achieved if the company and customers build up trust with each other,” Hong emphasized.

Uniko is well known for its flagship brand, “Wa Wa,” short for the official brand name “Wave Wave Collection.” Hong got the idea of this nickname when he realized that it sounded like “Wow Wow.” He thought the nickname was perfect for the new line of Uniko’s product, introduced to the market in 2002, because the new “HT (High Temperature) Advanced Fiber” used to make “Wa Wa” synthetic hair was so remarkable that consumers would say “Wow.”

Hong remembers that hair products back then were either made of human or low-quality synthetic hairs. Needless to say, human hair is much better than synthetic hair for many advantages: natural and soft texture, less tangled, and free for hot curls. Besides, human hair stays longer and is more hypoallergenic. Even though it has many benefits, many consumers cannot afford money to buy human hair products.

Hong says that hairstyles for African American ladies are not just a main part of their beauty but are also symbols of their dignity. When he decided to launch his “Wa Wa” product, he had no doubt that it would stir the market because it was a dream-come-true product, letting consumers enjoy almost all benefits they could get from human hair at reasonable price.

His timing was perfect. Due to shortage of human hair supplies, human hair prices were increasing when the “Wa Wa” product was introduced to the market. As Hong expected, consumers’ responses were enthusiastic. Demand surpassed supply in the initial period due to unexpectedly large orders.

Uniko exhibited the “Wa Wa” product in numerous trade shows, such as the Beauty Expo Show, Bronner Bros Show, and the IBS Show. Its catch phrase, “Just like human hair,” started to spread among people. It became a consumer’s choice much sooner than Hong expected.

Hong believes that “Wa Wa” has made a contribution to overall hair industry as well. It expanded market horizons and created a new market for quality synthetic hair products so that other companies, one by one, also started to offer heat-resistant synthetic hair options. Given that the bottleneck of human hair supplies will be aggravated, it has great significance in initiating a suitable substitute for human hair.

Hong would like to offer his personal guarantee of quality of the “HT Advanced Fiber,” which has brought “Wa Wa” its popularity. It is his honor to hear that curls still stay the same on the sample hair he initially distributed with mannequin heads.

“Wa Wa” line has expanded to offer various styles of products, including Body Wave, Deep Wave, and Disco Curls. Its color variation has increased to around 40 different colors ranging between mono- to three-tones. In addition to the weave and braid hairs initially offered, “Wa Wa” now offers ponytail products, half wigs, and full wigs. With a full line of products, “Wa Wa” is increasing in popularity throughout the US. Uniko has developed an overseas market in Europe, in addition to its existing markets of Canada and South America.

Hong wanted to end the interview with his sincere and personal appreciation for many people who helped him in the dawning days of Uniko. He always wanted to thank them, but never really had an opportunity before. In his early days, he visited retail stores in a van without air-conditioning, full of products. Many retailers encouraged him and gladly purchased his merchandise even though they could get better products from others.

Hong reminisced about an emotional moment when a retailer gave him a rabbit doll for his daughter’s birthday present. Another customer spared some time to treat Hong in a nearby restaurant. For all these people, Hong would like to show abundant thanks from the bottom of his heart. “Without these people, I would never have been able to get through the tough times in my early days,” Hong said. “I’d like to pay back by offering better quality products.”