In 1948 Fritz Blanke, born in Lemgo in 1904, founds his own company in Bielefeld, Schildesche Straße 84. Before he has been employed for 24 years, later as managing director, in a Bielefeld textile finishing business. Production starts with the redyeing of military coats, making of sisal yarns for carpet factories and stockings from artificial silk tricots, drying on air, bundling, transport with hand carriages. There are few machines, but enough people.

The first industrial clients are knitters building up a new existence in the West. This determines the direction: finishing of knitted fabrics. In 1949 the first wooden winch backs are running. One of the first drying stenters in tiers built in West Germany joins the self-made stenter frame.

The narrow production conditions enforce a change of place. Over the turn of the year 1952/1953 the company moves into the premises of an ancient dyeing factory in Bad Salzuflen-Schötmar. 5 years later there is not enough place again, intermediate ceilings are built and production runs on the attic floor.

An estate is purchased. In 1957 the new building is erected in the Industriestraße. Finally place for the finishing of curtains. In 1959 two new stenter frames are running. Knitted shirt fabrics are coming into fashion. High-temperature beam dyeing apparatuses are necessary; 5 stenter frames are operating.

In 1962 Fritz Blanke, founder and proprietor, dies. The management is taken over by Friedrich Blanke. Ernst-August Blanke enters the company.

The continuously growing staff and rising production require organisational changes. The splitting of responsibilities in factory, production engineering and the extension of cost calculation change the handicraft structure of the foundation years. The system of production group heads, who are responsible for their articles from development over production to customer contact, creates the required nearness between customer and production of goods.

From the initial provisional arrangement of the Bielefeld times an efficient, many-sided medium-sized company develops.