A family storymade in Italy

Founded in 1947 in Lumezzane, Italy, Mepra is the result of generations of metallurgical mastery by the Prandelli family.

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"We strongly believe everyone is different. We don't want a single world with a single thinking. Everything we do, we believe is to offer our partners the chance to distinguish themselves. Through our history, our craftmanship and our technology, creativity and flexibility."
luigi Prandelli, President

After the second World War, the family had to reinvent its production.

2nd January in 1947, Pietro, Felice and Giacomo Prandelli founded Mepra (“Metallurgica Prandelli”) and began a new chapter of the family story. The early years were anything but simple. The first production included brass flatware, made in a workshop where furnaces were still installed outdoors. But the Prandelli brothers were already looking ahead. In early 1950, after Felice business travel to Belgium they made the decisive choice: start the production of flatware in the revolutionary material, the stainless steel 18/10, the first company in Italy. The decision would shape Mepra for generations to come. By 1951, brass production had been abandoned altogether, and stainless steel 18/10 had become the heart of the company. It was more than a change of material. It was a belief in what Mepra could become.

The elephant chosen as the company’s new symbol represented exactly that belief: strength, resistance and durability. Qualities that were not only found in the material, but in the company itself. As the years passed, Mepra grew from flatware into a complete world for the set-up of the table and kitchen. Holloware, cookware, coffee makers and new materials gradually became part of the collection. Yet the essence remained the same: knowing the material, understanding how it behaves, and knowing how to make something beautiful from it.

And behind every object, there were always people.

People who learned the craft by doing it. People who understood that the difference between a good piece and an exceptional one can be found in a fraction of a millimetre, in the way an edge is finished, in the precision of a polish, in the balance of a handle. This knowledge was passed from one generation to the next, not only within the workshops, but within the family itself. More than seven decades after Mepra was founded, sons, nephews and younger generations of the people that has worked here, are still part of the company today.

This is still part of Mepra today. Many of the processes that define a Mepra piece depend on experience that cannot simply be written into a manual. Forms and moulds are carefully checked and adjusted. Large pieces are worked individually. Cutlery is polished and finished by hands with attention to the smallest details. Every piece passes through meticulous quality controls before it leaves the company. The final inspection is not simply a technical procedure. It is the moment when an experienced eye decides whether a piece is truly Mepra. It is this continuity, from one generation to the next, from one pair of hands to another, that keeps the Mepra way of making things alive.

Controle van lepels met witte handschoenen

Over the decades, new generations of the Prandelli family have joined the company

Bringing new ideas while remaining connected to the knowledge of those who came before them. Production, design, research and craftsmanship have continued to evolve together.

The 1980s brought new materials and new ways of thinking about the table. In the following decade, Mepra began working with some of Italy’s most distinguished designers, including Angelo Mangiarotti, opening another dialogue between industrial craftsmanship and Italian design.

This relationship between tradition and innovation has never meant choosing one over the other. It means taking what has been learned over generations and asking what can be done with it next. It is the same philosophy behind the development of new finishes and technologies, from PVD to new surface treatments, colours and combinations of materials. Research allows Mepra to move forward; craftsmanship gives that research a human dimension.

A family history carried forward by generations. A tradition kept alive by the hands of its artisans.

Today, this same knowledge also lives in Atelier Mepra, where objects can be created or adapted for the people who will use them, from private homes to restaurants, hotels, residences and special projects. Materials, finishes, colours and details can become part of a completely personal expression. Because after more than a century of working with metal, Mepra has learned that making something well is only the beginning. The real challenge is making an object that belongs to the person that uses it every day, an object that reflect his personality, an object that gratifies the person who buys it as well as it gratifies the loved person to which it is made as a gift.

From the first days of workshop beside the River Gobbia to the Mepra of today, the tools have changed. The technology has changed. The world around the table has changed!

But the heritage does not change: take the finest materials, work them with know-how and care, and never stop looking for a better way to make them truly unique.

Since 1947

75+ years of excellence

1950

The Beginning

Mepra was founded on January 1, 1947, in the aftermath of the Second World War, thanks to three brothers Pietro, Felice and Giacomo with the financial support of their father, GianBattista. In 1952, production in 18/10 stainless steel began. Mepra was the first company in Lumezzane to embrace what was then a revolutionary new material, giving rise to Arte Inossidabile. The Bavaria pattern, still part of the Mepra collection today, became one of the company's best sellers. Following cutlery, everyday products were soon developed in stainless steel, including lunch carriers, food storage containers and the famous schisette, the traditional lunch boxes used by workers.

1960

Expanding the Collection

Production expanded beyond cutlery to include tableware and kitchenware. Mepra also began the process of international expansion, establishing production units in other countries in response to the difficulties of exporting to international markets that were still largely closed. This decade saw the creation of some of Mepra's first iconic products, including the 511 salt and pepper set, the Mirror grater and the Bolli Siringa, a product that was sold door-to-door to pharmacies throughout Italy.

1970

Growing Beyond Italy

Development and internationalization continued with the launch of products specifically designed for the international hospitality market. Exports became an increasingly important part of the company's business, while Mepra began receiving its first prestigious international awards. This was also the decade that saw the launch of the iconic Bombata, Lady and Party coffee collections.

1980

A New Language for Stainless Steel

The Cellini tableware collection was born and quickly became one of the company's greatest successes. At the same time, Mepra continued investing in new technologies and revolutionary surface treatments, expanding the aesthetic possibilities of stainless steel. The combination of stainless steel with other materials had a strong influence on the market. Collections such as Cellini Oro, Giotto Décor, Leonardo Oro and Michelangelo Oro Nero became must-haves for wedding registries and Christmas gifting.

1990

Colour Changes the Table

The Fantasia and later Caramella collections, spanning cutlery, cookware and tableware, brought a true revolution to the way tables and kitchens were designed. The kitchen was no longer simply a hidden space where cooking smells could be kept away. It became one of the most important rooms in the home, often opening directly onto the dining and living areas. Mepra's new collections brought table and kitchen together through coordinated designs and colours, creating a new way of experiencing the home — every day, as well as on the occasions that matter most.

2000

The New Millennium

The early 2000s were marked by major investments in new technologies. Technological progress accelerated at an unprecedented pace, allowing Mepra to bring products to the market that had never been seen before. Mepra introduced its first PVD-coated cutlery, becoming a leading manufacturer in the high-quality market and receiving prestigious international awards. Soon after came the Original Vintage collection and Vintage cutlery. Once again, Mepra was among the first to introduce this aesthetic to the market and uniquely, could combine new surface treatments with original products dating back to the 1950s and 1960s, giving them the distinctive look and character of pewter.

2020

The year of Covid

A time of profound change for everyone. The company’s financial strength allowed us to preserve every job, the expertise and professional skills developed both within the company and beyond, as well as the entire network of suppliers and subcontractors. Although we were all unable to produce, the company continued to financially support the entire supply chain, making it possible for everyone involved to restart after months of inactivity without major difficulties , with no layoffs, no downsizing, and no loss of personnel, machinery, or equipment. For us, this was perhaps the toughest, yet most meaningful and rewarding test of our first 80 years, and one we overcame together.

TODAY

The Mepra Atelier

Experimentation and innovation, together with the company's artisanal heritage and the expertise of its highly skilled collaborators, are at the heart of Mepra Atelier. Created for hyper-personalization, the Atelier transforms selected tableware and kitchen objects into truly unique pieces for private and professional clients who want to express their character, personality and emotions through the objects that surround them. Every Atelier creation carries a story. It brings together the vision of the person who imagined it and the craftsmanship of those who helped bring it to life — making each piece unmistakably personal, and truly one of a kind.

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