The German market leader Fressnapf has been named “Franchisor of the Year 2004”. The award, which is given annually by the German business magazine Impulse and supported by the German Franchise Association (DFV), is being handed over at a ceremony taking place today in Essen. The jury’s grounds for choosing Fressnapf were reportedly the company’s extraordinary growth in the difficult retail sector, the high level of satisfaction among its franchise partners and the exemplary manner in which Fressnapf deals with its partners.