Franke is a Swiss-German group. Franke was founded in 1911 by Hermann Franke, who set up a tinplate factory. But the company suffered from the First World War and the economic crisis between the wars. Despite this, it launched its first sinks in stainless steel, niccolite and Monel, derivatives of nickel. Franke innovated with the fully-welded sink, which made mass production possible. Hermann Franke died in 1939, leaving his son Walter to run the company.
After the war, Franke moved into complete kitchens. The company benefited from reconstruction and the consumer society, which led to a demand for household equipment. In 1972, Franke won McDonald's tender to build its first kitchen in Munich. In 1979, the famous compact sink was developed, bringing Franke international renown. In the 2000s, Franke diversified into sink accessories (mixer taps, washing-up liquid dispensers, siphons) and even professional coffee machines.
In 2005, Franke diversified into cooker hoods by acquiring the French company Roblin.