John Swaine, The Product Manager at Franke UK, has announced his retirement after a quarter of a centurys honest work for the company. John was brought into the Franke workings in July 1987, when he was recruited by Duncan Marr, who early last year retired from his post as managing director and who is known for exclusively introducing the brand that is Franke to The UK, memorably starting the company in his garage. Throughout his Franke 25 long years with Franke, John produced the marketing plan for the entire Franke brand, which largely contributed to its strong, solid position in the UK market. By directing his energy towards relationships with suppliers as well as the development and design of new products, John produced quality results time after time, including the more recent launch of the 3-in-1 Minerva Boiling Water Taps. John as worked with and trained his successor, Steve Rutter, who joined as marketing operations manager in July 2012, sharing his extensive knowledge of the industry and ensuring Steve has a great introduction into the business and is as fully prepared to take over John as possible. A highly thought of figure in the industry, John is loved for his humour and respected for his library of market knowledge. He is rightly regarded as the doyen of the kitchen industry and is a popular guest at events and exhibitions. This is what Tracy Bamber, managing director of Franke UK, had to say about John: "John has given outstanding service to the Franke business, building it into the highly recognised and successful brand it is today. I have been grateful for Johns enormous help during my steep learning curve over the past year and will miss his insight and experience. Nevertheless, his retirement is well earned and everyone here and throughout the Group wishes him the very best."