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Franklin Electric history
Franklin Electric company history timeline
Founded in 1944 with less than $20,000 in capital, Franklin Electric has grown from a niche electric motor business into a multi-million dollar global enterprise.
In fact, the Army was Franklin's only customer during 1945.
Franklin Electric formally incorporated in 1946 and began designing and manufacturing fractional horsepower motors that could be used in homes, to pump in water for drinking and washing, or pump water out of flooded basements.
1950: Franklin develops the first practical submersible motor.
Nationwide sales reached $12 million in 1959.
1964: Franklin diversifies into food packaging equipment.
In May 1966, founder and board member Wayne Kehoe passed away.
1966: Franklin manufactures its one millionth submersible motor.
Franklin manufactured its five-millionth fractional horsepower motor in 1969, and one year later was listed among Fortune's top 1,000 manufacturing firms in the United States.
1970: Fortune ranks Franklin in top 1000 manufacturing companies in the United States
Franklin acquired Control Company of Canada in 1973, and a year later expanded its facilities in Strathroy Ontario by 67,000 feet.
Franklin's sales grew by leaps and bounds through the 1970s. It expanded its Blufton plant a second time in 1975, adding 50,000 square feet.
In 1976 the company recorded new sales highs, driven by demand for electric motors for home heating and electricity that was increasing so rapidly the company could hardly keep up.
By 1982, however, the boom times had begun to wane rapidly catching Franklin with large back stocks of inventory.
In 1982 it brought out the electrical industry's first cheap, dependable solid state switch, of which its straightforward name said it all: the Amazing Little Switch.
1983 saw the opening of Franklin's first Mexican plant, a submersible motor facility in Monterrey, Mexico.
Edward Schaefer passed away in 1991.
1994: Franklin acquires a 97 percent interest in Oil Dynamics, Inc.
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Franklin Electric competitors
| Company name | Founded date | Revenue | Employee size | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flint & Walling | 1866 | $44.0M | 350 | - |
| Morbark | 1957 | $233.0M | 200 | 15 |
| Lightolier | 1904 | $500.0M | 3,000 | - |
| Monaco Coach | 1968 | $73.0M | 5,000 | - |
| Blount International, Inc. | 1971 | $1.2B | 4,400 | - |
| Toro | 1914 | $4.6B | 10,300 | 145 |
| Paulo | 1943 | $61.0M | 350 | 14 |
| Kohler Co. | 1873 | $7.6B | 32,000 | 285 |
| Regal Boats | 1969 | $250.0M | 900 | 46 |
| Putzmeister America | 1958 | $100.0M | 3,000 | 13 |
Franklin Electric history FAQs
Zippia gives an in-depth look into the details of Franklin Electric, including salaries, political affiliations, employee data, and more, in order to inform job seekers about Franklin Electric. The employee data is based on information from people who have self-reported their past or current employments at Franklin Electric. The data on this page is also based on data sources collected from public and open data sources on the Internet and other locations, as well as proprietary data we licensed from other companies. Sources of data may include, but are not limited to, the BLS, company filings, estimates based on those filings, H1B filings, and other public and private datasets. While we have made attempts to ensure that the information displayed are correct, Zippia is not responsible for any errors or omissions or for the results obtained from the use of this information. None of the information on this page has been provided or approved by Franklin Electric. The data presented on this page does not represent the view of Franklin Electric and its employees or that of Zippia.
Franklin Electric may also be known as or be related to FE, FRANKLIN ELECTRIC CO INC, Franklin Electric, Franklin Electric Co Inc and Franklin Electric Co., Inc.