On the occasion of the 2025 World SME Day, we want to celebrate our journey — a path marked by vision, transformation, and growth — which has led us to become the company we are today.
The origins: From polyethylene recycling company to early compounds
Franplast was founded in 1966 by Dr. Giacomo Franceschetti, a true pioneer in industrial innovation. From the very beginning, the company stood out as a “polyethylene recycler” — a groundbreaking approach at the time and one that still plays a role in our production today. Today, his daughter Elena leads the company as CEO, carrying forward and expanding the founder’s industrial legacy.
The first turning point: The footwear compound insight
Just a few years after its founding came the first major turning point. Driven by the founder’s curiosity and commitment to innovation, Franplast began developing thermoplastic rubber compounds — a blend of raw materials with different characteristics and ratios, tailored to meet the specific needs of each client.
Production focused on a precise niche: soles for sports footwear. Between the 1960s and 1980s, the Marche region in Italy was the global hub for sole production, and Franplast established itself as a key player, developing TPE-S-based compounds for sports shoe molding.
The second turning point: From footwear crisis to diversification
In the mid-1990s, the footwear sector in the Marche region faced a major crisis, triggered by increasing globalization. Franplast — until then a single-product company — chose to evolve.
That moment marked the start of a long transformation process, leading to the development of new compounds for a wide variety of applications. We significantly expanded our product portfolio, along with the skills required: technical know-how, compliance with strict regulations, customer service, and ongoing innovation.
A Company with a future-focused vision and strong roots
Our production process has evolved: today, our lines are shorter but more advanced, requiring precision in mixing, constant temperature control, careful attention to wear and maintenance, and the ongoing support of our quality control laboratories.
Corporate communication and marketing have also played a key role in our expansion. From an initially 100% Italian market, we now operate in a market evenly split between Italy and abroad, thanks to collaboration between our Italian and International sales teams, always ready to share ideas and explore new application fields.
Our journey has been made possible by the close collaboration among all departments — commercial, technical, and production. It is precisely this ongoing synergy, along with adaptability and innovation, that allows us to proudly celebrate this World SME Day with nearly 60 years of history behind us.
