The Swiss Franke Group aims to strengthen its position in the hood market, further expanding its know-how. It has recently concluded a sale and purchase agreement to acquire 100% of WESCO Group. It is a manufacturer of high-end extractor hoods and ventilation systems for kitchens, homes, offices and schools. The closing of the transaction remains subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities. WESCO Group will become part of Franke Home Solutions. This is a division of Franke Group: it provides intelligent systems and solutions for residential kitchens.
More than 60 years of history
Founded in 1962 and headquartered in Wettingen (Switzerland), WESCO Group is a family-run company. With around 280 employees at locations in Switzerland (WESCO AG), Germany (berbel Ablufttechnik GmbH) and Italy (Createc srl), the Group generates annual net sales of 97 million Swiss franc. WESCO AG is a recognized expert for kitchen extractor hoods and air filtration in Switzerland. Berbel Ablufttechnik, the Group’s German company, is a brand of extractor hoods and hob extractors.
An opportunity to strengthen the position in the extractor hood market
The acquisition of WESCO Group offers to Franke Group the opportunity to strengthen its position in the extractor hood market and progressively achieve a relevant position in Germany and Switzerland. WESCO Group, through its brands WESCO and berbel, is strongly represented as a premium supplier on the Swiss and German extractor hood markets respectively, and thus complements and reinforces Franke’s offering from both geographical and strategic perspective.
“Acquiring WESCO – Barbara Borra, President/CEO of Franke Home Solutions, comments – is an ideal strategic fit for us. WESCO brings to Franke advanced air quality technology and robust commercial organizations in Switzerland and Germany. By leveraging Franke’s global scale and financial strength, we can support WESCO’s growth both in its traditional markets and internationally. With WESCO, we have found a company who shares the same values as Franke in terms of quality, technology and innovation”.
“As part of a succession plan, I decided to sell my company to Franke – Beat Ernst, owner of WESCO Group, declared in turn –. As there is no succession in our family environment, it was important to me to find a sustainable solution that would hand over our life’s work into good hands. Franke has the necessary expertise and resources to fully utilize the potential of our brands and position them even more successfully in the market”.
With this initiative, the Franke Home Solutions division further enhances its competence in air quality treatment. The division is active worldwide and employs around 4,200 people in over 30 countries, generating net sales of 932 million Swiss franc. The product range covers all areas in the kitchen, from food preparation and cooking to disposal, cleaning and air treatment.
