in this sleepy little town of Yakima, Washington,

lies a hidden empire.

And what they've been making

you've used your entire life. - It's like

one of those things that you go, “Oh my God!”

“That was invented?

“Oh, yeah, wow!”

My name is Stephanie, and I'm the oldest

of the Paxton women.

- My name is Kimberly and I'm in the middle. (laughing)

- My name is Melissa, and I am the baby.

We are the three sisters

behind the Kwik Lok corporation

and the little bag closures that you see

just about everywhere.

- [Narrator] And by everywhere,

she means everywhere.

- Typically around bread,

but it can be found on a variety of packages

from produce to potatoes.

We sell billions of Kwik Loks a year, billlllions.

(group laughing)

- [Narrator] The invention of the little

closures that could dates back

to their Grandfather, Floyd Paxton.

- The story certainly is

that our Grandfather whittled his first Kwik Lok

out of a credit card.

Whether or not that is actual fact

will probably never be discovered.

- [Narrator] But the bag closure business

isn't all fun and games.

- I would say our biggest competition

is the wire tie.

You know the thing that you twist,

that you can't untwist or get it all mixed up.

- [Narrator] Oh, yeah, those things.

Never thought about it, but if we're

being honest, I guess I never really thought

about bag closures in general.

- It's always so fun telling the story of the Kwik Lok.

It's this little plastic square closure

that was invented in Yakima, Washington,

and has gone from this little town

to being sold globally and internationally.