After a few questions from customers, here is a brief history of Franke.
Starting out
The Franke company began life in 1911, when Hermann Franke established a small sheet metal business in Rorschach, Switzerland. The company was busy and successful, but the advent of the First World War, in 1914, limited the supply of materials.
Hermann came up with an ingenious solution, his brother had a roofing company, and he launched a 'tiles for tin' campaign. Whenever he found a tin roof in good condition, he would offer to exchange it for a tiled roof, expertly installed by his brother. In this manner he was able to source the material to make drainpipes and guttering, which were in great demand, and the company survived.
By 1925, the economy was beginning to recover, and the company were soon manufacturing sinks from nickeline and Monel metal. In 1934, they produced the first stainless steel sinks which quickly become so popular that by 1938, the company was mass-producing them.
Stainless Steel
In 1939, Hermann Franke passed away, leaving his son, Walter, to take over the running of the business. However, the start of the Second World War, once again made sourcing materials difficult. Fortunately, Walter ran the company so efficiently that even in these most difficult of times; Franke was still able to succeed. This was thanks, in part, to their production of parts for industrial applications, not least of which were engine components.
Walter Franke's motto was "We make everything that can be made from stainless steel". The range was definitely eclectic, and included everything from beer kegs to dissection tables, and a vast array of items in between. What is quite certain is that whatever the company was doing, they were doing it well. Franke grew so rapidly over the next decade that they soon needed additional manufacturing facilities. They opened a factory in Germany and expanded to 400 employees.
The Modern Kitchen
Walter Franke is widely recognised as one of the fathers of modern day kitchen technology. It was Walter who drew up the model for the standardisation of the private kitchen. His 55cm unit structure is still in use today, and this made it possible to mass produce kitchens for the first time.
Another significant step in the success of the company came when, in 1972, they installed their first kitchen for the McDonald's Restaurant in Moscow.
Passing the Baton
In 1975, Walter Franke's great friend and business partner, Willi Pieper took over the running of the group. He simplified the company's structure, creating five separate divisions to secure its growth and development. He once famously said, "All I need to run the company can be written on a single sheet of paper."
In 1989, Willi Pieper's son, Michael, took over as CEO and in 1990, became the owner of the Franke Group. Under his management, the company has continued to expand and the Franke brand is now a well-known name across the world.
Today
Franke continues to operate through five clearly defined business units, Washroom systems, Coffee Systems, Beverage systems, Foodservice Systems, and of course Kitchen Systems. Their innovative design and approach is at the forefront of some of the leading technological advances in these areas, and the company continues to go from strength to strength. Franke now has 70 subsidiaries and employs 11,000 people in 40 countries across the globe.
Franke's uncompromising quality and attention to detail has become the envy of companies worldwide. The company's vision for the future is to continue to grow and take advantage of new technology as it becomes available. If the next 100 years are as successful as the first, then the next century promises to be a very exciting time for the Franke Group.
Today, Franke is the largest stainless steel sink manufacturer in the world. Their commitment to detail and their state-of-the-art production facilities mean that they are at the forefront of advances in kitchen design.
