Business name: Metsker Maps
Products and/or services: Recreational maps, travel maps and guides, books, world-continental-regional maps, ZIP Code maps and marketing maps, antique map reprints, an inventory for kids, globes and much more. In Seattle since 1950, Metsker Maps joined with Kroll Map Company in 1999 and with that connection the company’s roots in this area extend back to the 1880s. Kroll owner John Loacker is third generation — his grandfather purchased the business in 1920, which started out as the Anderson Map Company and was purchased by Carl Kroll in 1911 (and sold nine years later).
Number of employees: Approximately 15
Unique/interesting features about the business: After decades of being told that technology would replace us, the business is still going strong. Kroll is the small technology business and Metsker is the visible retail street presence. “The store in the Pike Place Market is a Seattle icon – listed by Seattle Magazine as one of the “Top Ten Quintessential Shopping Experiences in Seattle,” along with Nordstrom and REI; not bad for a little map store,” the business notes. “Metsker is a store that has some intellectual depth that is not often seen in street level retail.”
Location and contact information:
Alderwood Mall – 3000 184th St. S.W. (moving in the next few months from temporary/outdoor space across from REI to a location near the food court, inside the mall).
Phone: 425-673-8165
As a service to the business community, My Edmonds News features new businesses opening in our area. If you want to be included, email advertising@myedmondsnews.com.
When my Wife, Daughter and I moved to Burien from Longview in 1966, one of the first things I bought was a Metzger’s map of Seattle. It was a great help getting used to a big City and being able to find places using the Phone book for addresses and then plotting a route. No Google maps like today 🙂 Still Love Maps!
Sorry I misspelled Metsker 🙁
I’m new to the area, so as soon as I found Metsker’s Maps I bought 2 large maps of the Puget Sound area, mounted on foam board, to hang in my apartment. They’re educational as well as attractive.
Very excited Metsker Maps is now nearby. Paper maps defy our hyper digital world because they are not limited by screen size or batteries. As an avid hiker having a good paper map is essential for not getting lost but also because it gives you a deeper understanding of your surroundings and the endless possibilities to explore.