Designs by Metzke, Inc.

Designs by Metzke was founded in 1963 by Dr. Fred W. Metzke and his wife Mary. Under Dr. Metzke's skills as a model maker/artist and the creativity of his wife Mary, the small family company grew to one of the largest pewter giftware manufacturers in the world. In 1972, Fred and Mary were joined by their son Stephen. As company President, Stephen helped to develop Designs by Metzke into a company of almost 200 hundred employees and 100 sales personnel in 17 showrooms around the world. Finally, in 1990, Barbara Metzke joined the rest of the family as Vice President. The Metzke family business featured over 3000 designs in several hundred categories. Each product was hand finished and shipped from the Metzke factory in Tallahassee, Florida. Designs by Metzke represented clients such as Disney World, Disney Land, the Smithsonian, Neiman Marcus, Dillard's, major gift catalogs, and thousands of small gift shops and boutiques. Designs by Metzke, Inc. officially closed its doors in 1997 after realizing it could not continue to compete with the foreign market of imported pewter giftware.

This web site is dedicated to the employees of Designs by Metzke. They continue to meet each year to share a luncheon, remember old times, and the fellowship they developed over the years at the factory. It is also dedicated to the salesmen and Rep firms that worked so closely with the family for over three decades.

Although Dr. Fred Metzke passed way in 1994, his wife Mary still works daily at the family's Antique shop, "Something Nice" in Tallahassee. All the models from over 30 years of manufacturing were donated to W. T. Wilson of Providence, Rhode Island. W. T. Wilson are manufacturers of fine pewter giftware and a family run company as was Designs by Metzke.

For more information concerning upcoming availability of the Original Metzke products contact Mary Metzke at Something Nice: 850-562-4167. Thursday, Friday and Saturday 10AM to 4PM.