Historical foundations

Franki Foundations (Franki) is the UK leader in the design and build of piling and foundation solutions, employing an experienced team of design engineers and operating a large directly owned fleet of both traditional and patented piling rigs. Franki is using its vast experience and history of innovation, to achieve tremendous success despite the recent supply chain challenges and economic uncertainty and continues to revolutionise the piling industry.

The company’s portfolio of iconic projects includes the redevelopment of the former American Embassy on Grosvenor Square, Lord’s Cricket Ground, One Centenary Way in Birmingham, and the redevelopment of Leadenhall Street in the City of London. Jonny Miller, Pre-Construction Manager at Franki, joins us to discuss the company’s continued growth, pioneering designs, and motivations for the future.

Franki was born out of innovation with the patent of the Franki pile in 1909. Over the next century, it led the industry through the development of new techniques, such as the Atlas pile in 1960 and the first diaphragm wall in 1962. After tremendous growth in Europe, Franki entered the UK market in 2006 through the acquisition of Able Piling, but it was its own acquisition by Besix in 2008 that further accelerated its expansion in the UK.

Even with its rapid growth, Franki “still undertakes the domestic and small-scale projects that were our stepping-stone into the UK market,” Jonny begins. “Staying true to our roots in this way ensures that we remain humble and value every client, appreciating the importance of the work we are entrusted to carry out for them.”

Similarly, the historical origins of Franki remain central to its mission. “Playing to our historic strengths of quality and innovation enables us to provide our clients with more efficient and costeffective solutions,” says Jonny. “In doing so, we strengthen the partnerships with clients, who appreciate the value we add to their project through identifying opportunities for efficiency and savings.”

He continues: “We recognise the challenges our clients face from the changing market conditions and use our