1870 - 1899 Franz Guilleaume takes over and expands the factory "Franz Ant. Mehlem"
Franz Guilleaume is the son of Theodor Guilleaume, owner of company Felten & Guilleaume, which manufactures deep-sea cable in Cologne. Thanks to working with his father and years spent abroad, the young Franz Guilleaume has profound business knowledge that stands him in good stead for opening up new markets and increasing the capacity of the factory. The company performs very well under his leadership. The workforce increases from an initial 130 to 1,000 employees within 25 years.Franz Guilleaume is also trend-setting in terms of his social commitment. At a time when it was not yet common practice for industrial companies, he established a relief fund for members of his workforce, an in-house health plan.