History
A member of the Franklins Group, Franklins International Ltd. (originally William Franklin & Sons Ltd.) was founded in Coventry as a silk weaver, in 1835. It was based at Much Park Street, Coventry, and after marriage to a Franklin was in the possession of the Clarke family from 1913.
Silk ribbon weaving had been established in Coventry and neighbouring villages, from the early 18th century. In the mid 20th century, different locations throughout England, specialized in different products, and Coventry was known for excelling in masonic and military ribbons, school hatbands and badges, and above all in name labels and name tapes.
In the early 1960's William Franklin & Son Ltd. employed 200 people in two plants in Coventry and Nuneaton. A subsidiary company, Wm. Franklin & Son (NI) Ltd., was opened in Banbridge, Northern Ireland in 1961. They were installed in a new 19,000 sq ft. factory built by the Northern Ireland Ministry of Commerce. This was later, in the mid 1970's, extended to a 35,000 sq. ft. complex, the Company is one of the largest dedicated woven, sew on badge suppliers in Europe.
After a management buy out in the 1970's Franklin's is now locally owned by people from the Banbridge area.
Franklin's Today The company supplies youth organisations, the military and emergency services, commercial companies, charities and manufacturers at local, national and international levels within the sports, industrial, fashion, careerwear and promotional markets, and services markets all over the UK and Ireland. |