COMPANY HISTORY

1842

Founding of the Metz Works
Metz is founded by Carl Metz in Heidelberg, Germany, as the first factory in the world to specialize in the manufacturing of fire-fighting and rescue equipment.

1843

Construction and serial production of manually-operated, portable pumps for municipal and rural operations, suction and pressure pumps, breathing apparatus, rescue bags, etc.

1880

Carl Metz Memorial
Germany's volunteer fire-fighting services erect a memorial to Carl Metz: the inscription reads "Carl Metz, 1818 -1877, Founder of the Volunteer Fire-Fighting Services".
In place of the original, which was melted down during the war, the new memorial now stands in the "Oberer Fauler Pelz" public park in Heidelberg, Germany.

1905

Carl Metz relocates from Heidelberg to Karlsruhe.

1912

First Metz motorized aerial ladders for manual operations with a rise of 25m.
Metz supplies the first aerial ladder with a rescue height of 25m to the Karlsruhe fire department on a 36 BHP chassis, including a centrifugal pump.

1924

First all-steel ladder set
The first all-steel ladder set is produced for an auto-aerial.

1935

Design for a hydraulic aerial ladder with multiple oil pumps patented