Franke Group

What Franke Group does

Franke Group is a Swiss, family-owned industrial manufacturer founded in 1911 and headquartered in Aarburg, Switzerland, operating four product divisions — Home Solutions, Coffee Systems, Foodservice Systems, and Water Solutions — and reporting CHF 2.05 billion in net sales across roughly 33 countries and 64 subsidiary entities. The company builds its offering on stainless-steel fabrication know-how (seamless sinks since 1935), modular professional coffee machines (acquired via Augsburger AG in 1984), and engineered commercial kitchen systems acquired progressively through Progressive Corporation (1976), Faber Group (2002–2013), Chain Link Services (2018), and the pending WESCO Group acquisition announced 2024-09-30.

The technical platform is heavy-industrial rather than digital: LEAN-driven, ISO 9001:2000-compliant production runs on identical engineering platforms across facilities in the Americas, EMEA, and APAC, with a state-of-the-art synthetic-sink plant in Strečno, Slovakia opened in 2018. Product architecture in foodservice centers on integrated "system gastronomy" — planning, custom fabrication, equipment, ventilation (including UVC Gen V air filtration and Ecovent air treatment), and beverage prep delivered as a complete kitchen concept rather than discrete hardware.

The commercial model is hybrid. Enterprise foodservice clients are served through regional market managers, certified service partners, direct sales teams, and project-based quotations (deposits required 21 days pre-shipment, plus logistics/storage fees), with a regional distribution footprint handling roughly 60,000 service calls and 100,000 orders annually and a custom B2B Webshop for replacement parts. Residential home solutions move through authorized partners, store locators, and direct catalog/web ordering. Revenue streams combine hardware sales, professional services (project management, custom smallwares, facility design), and managed services including warranty administration, preventative maintenance, and technical training. The company is privately held through Artemis Group, controlled by Michael Pieper across four generations of family ownership.

Name

Franke Group

Legal name

Franke Holding AG

Website

https://franke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1911

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Franke Group is a privately held Swiss manufacturer founded in 1911, producing kitchen sinks and faucets, professional coffee systems, commercial kitchen equipment, and water solutions for residential, hospitality, and quick-service restaurant customers across roughly 33 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Kitchen Equipment & Systems Manufacturing

NAICS

Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing (333310)

SIC

Household Appliances (3630), Refrigeration & Service Industry Machinery (3580), Air-Cond & Warm Air Heatg Equip & Comm & Indl Refrig Equip (3585)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Systems & Treatment (Pumps/Boilers/Water Heaters/Filtration) (IMAIABAK)

Keywords

• Commercial kitchen equipment
• Stainless steel sinks
• Professional coffee machines
• Foodservice ventilation systems
• Water management solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarburg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Kitchen Equipment and Systems Sales: Sale of kitchen sinks, faucets, extractor hoods, ventilation systems, and complete kitchen concepts for residential and commercial applications
2. Coffee Systems: Fully automatic coffee machines, milk cooling units, flavor stations, and accessories for hospitality, workplace, healthcare, and retail sectors
3. Custom Fabrication and Project Management: Custom smallwares, tailor-fit workstations, and entire facility design and installation for restaurant operators
4. Supply and Replacement Parts: Replacement equipment, supplies, and spare parts through custom Webshop and call centers handling approximately 100,000 orders annually
5. Technical Support Services: Warranty management, in-house technical training, preventative maintenance programs, service event review, and invoice validation services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Franke Group manufactures and sells kitchen systems, coffee systems, and water solutions across four business divisions. Its core offerings include residential kitchen sinks, faucets, and water filtration (Home Solutions); fully automatic professional coffee machines (Coffee Systems); commercial kitchen equipment and ventilation for quick-service restaurants, casual dining, and convenience stores (Foodservice Systems); and commercial stainless steel sinks, hand wash basins, scullery sinks, and healthcare fixtures (Water Solutions).

Product overview

Franke Group is a Swiss manufacturer offering comprehensive kitchen and coffee solutions across four interconnected divisions: Home Solutions, Coffee Systems, Foodservice Systems, and Water Solutions. The Home Solutions division provides kitchen sinks (Kitchen Sinks, Mythos Masterpiece, Franke Workcenter Sink Collection, Fraceram Sinks, Maris Fragranite Sinks), kitchen faucets including multifunctional and filtration-integrated models (Kitchen Faucets, Maris Lario Faucets), filtration systems, waste management, and accessories. The Coffee Systems division offers fully automatic coffee machines, the Mytico line for specialty coffee operations, digital services, milk cooling units, and flavor stations. The Foodservice Systems division provides equipment and innovations for quick-service restaurants, casual dining, convenience stores, and cafeterias, including noodle cookers, frozen product dispensers, Franke Transporter, pasta cookers, smallwares, and advanced ventilation/filtration systems (Air Knife Canopy Hood, Cascade Hood Filter, UVC Gen V Air Filtration, Ecovent Air Treatment, Franke FlexFlow System). The Water Solutions division supplies commercial stainless steel sinks including Type 316 marine-grade variants, hand wash basins, scullery sinks, healthcare sinks and fixtures, utility sinks and basins, vanity basins, washroom accessories, and waste fittings. The company operates globally across 33 countries with 64 companies and CHF 2.05 billion in net sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mythos: Premium kitchen sink collection featuring high-end design and craftsmanship
• Maris
• Fragranite
• Fraceram
• Mytico
• Wesco
• berbel

Products and services

• Kitchen Sinks Stainless steel and synthetic kitchen sinks in various configurations including undermount and top-mount installations for residential applications, including premium collections such as Mythos Masterpiece and Maris Fragranite.
• Kitchen Faucets Kitchen faucets for residential use, including multifunctional taps, filtration-integrated faucets, and design families such as Maris Lario Faucets.
• Water Filtration Systems Water filtration systems integrated into kitchen faucets for improved drinking water quality in residential kitchens.
• Waste Management Systems Waste disposal units and waste management solutions for residential kitchens.
• Fully Automatic Coffee Machines Fully automatic coffee machines for commercial and professional use, offering espresso and specialty coffee preparation in hospitality, workplace, healthcare, and retail environments.
• Mytico Coffee Line Professional coffee machines designed for bakeries and specialty coffee operations, representing Franke's premium approach beyond traditional espresso machines.
• Digital Services for Coffee Systems Digital services supporting coffee machine operations, including connectivity, monitoring, and management solutions for professional coffee operators.
• Milk Cooling Units Cooling units for milk storage and handling in professional coffee preparation environments, supporting milk solutions technology.
• Flavor Stations Flavor station systems for adding syrups and flavorings to beverages in professional coffee settings.
• Quick-Service Restaurant Kitchen Equipment Commercial cooking and preparation equipment for quick-service restaurants including cookers, dispensers, and workstations, designed for high-volume operation and multi-site rollouts.
• Casual Dining & Cafe Kitchen Equipment Kitchen equipment solutions for casual dining restaurants and cafe operations.
• Convenience Store Equipment Specialized kitchen equipment for convenience store food service operations, expanded after the 2018 acquisition of Chain Link Services.
• Noodle Cooker Automated noodle cooking system for high-volume foodservice operations.
• Frozen Product Dispenser Dispensing system for frozen food products in commercial kitchen environments.
• Pasta Cooker (Frontline Cooker) Front-mounted pasta cooking system for professional kitchens and high-volume operation.
• Franke Transporter Material handling and transport equipment for foodservice operations.
• Smallwares Custom-designed utensils, containers, and tailor-fit workstations for foodservice workstation optimization.
• Air Knife Canopy Hood Ventilation hood with air knife technology for improved kitchen air management in commercial settings.
• Cascade Hood Filter Advanced air filtration system using cascade filter technology for foodservice ventilation.
• UVC Gen V Air Filtration UVC light-based air purification system for food service environments, representing 5th generation technology.
• Ecovent Air Treatment Comprehensive air treatment solution for commercial kitchen environments.
• Franke FlexFlow System Flexible flow beverage dispensing system for optimized drink preparation in foodservice.
• Commercial Stainless Steel Sinks Commercial-grade stainless steel sinks designed for professional kitchen environments, leveraging Franke's pioneering seamless stainless steel welding heritage.
• Type 316 Stainless Steel Sinks Premium stainless steel sinks made with Type 316 marine-grade stainless steel for superior corrosion resistance in demanding commercial environments.
• Hand Wash Basins Hand wash basins designed for commercial and healthcare hygiene applications.
• Scullery Sinks Large-scale sinks for food preparation and dishwashing areas in commercial settings.
• Healthcare Sinks & Fixtures Specialized sinks and fixtures meeting healthcare facility requirements for hygiene and infection control.
• Utility Sinks & Basins Heavy-duty sinks and basins for utility and service areas in commercial facilities.
• Vanity Basins Bathroom and washroom vanity basins for commercial installations.
• Technical Support Services Warranty management, in-house technical training, preventative maintenance programs, service event review, and invoice validation services for commercial foodservice clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000 calls handled annually through call centers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WESCO GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2024Franke Group announced acquisition of 100% of WESCO Group, a manufacturer of high-end kitchen extractor hoods and ventilation systems in Switzerland and Germany. WESCO brands Wesco and berbel will enhance Franke's premium offering and strategic positioning in the extractor hood market. Transaction pending regulatory approval. Legal counsel provided by Niederer Kraft Frey.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BLANCO GmbH + Co. KG: BLANCO is a German manufacturer specializing in kitchen sinks, faucets, and water systems for residential use. It is the most direct comparable to Franke Home Solutions across stainless steel, granite composite, and ceramic sink categories.
• Grohe (LIXIL): Grohe, owned by LIXIL, is a global manufacturer of kitchen and bathroom faucets and water systems. Direct overlap with Franke's faucet business and water filtration/residential kitchen plumbing categories.
• Middleby Corporation: Middleby is a US-listed global manufacturer of commercial and residential kitchen equipment, including foodservice cooking, ventilation, and beverage systems. Directly comparable to Franke's Foodservice Systems division, especially in QSR and convenience store equipment.
• Welbilt (Ali Group): Welbilt (now part of Ali Group) manufactures commercial foodservice equipment including cooking, beverage, and refrigeration solutions. Direct overlap with Franke's Foodservice Systems and Coffee Systems offerings for hospitality and QSR operators.
• Rational AG: Rational is a German commercial cooking equipment specialist (combisteamers, ovens) serving professional kitchens worldwide. Comparable to Franke's commercial cooking and innovation portfolio within the Foodservice Systems division.
• Hobart (Illinois Tool Works): Hobart, part of ITW, is a US manufacturer of commercial foodservice equipment including warewashing, cooking, and food prep systems. Direct peer to Franke Foodservice, particularly in commercial kitchen integration projects.
• Miele: Miele is a German premium household appliance maker (kitchen, cooking, coffee machines). Comparable to Franke Home Solutions and Coffee Systems in the high-end residential and professional segments.
• Cimbali Group (La Cimbali): La Cimbali is an Italian manufacturer of professional espresso and coffee machines for hospitality and QSR chains. Most directly comparable to Franke's Coffee Systems division (Mytico line, fully-automatic machines).

Broad incumbents

• BSH Hausgeräte (Bosch Home Appliances): BSH (Bosch/Siemens) is the European household appliance market leader across cooking, dishwashing, and refrigeration. Broad overlap with Franke's Home Solutions and adjacent categories, but at much larger scale with a wider brand portfolio.
• Electrolux AB: Electrolux is a Swedish global manufacturer of home appliances (kitchen, laundry). Broad incumbent in the household appliance category with adjacent product overlap to Franke Home Solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/franke_group
• Facebookfacebook.com/FrankeHomeSolutions
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/franke-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Franke Group