Singer Sewing Machines
The most well-known of all sewing machines in the United States, Singer sewing machines have a long standing reputation for excellence.
The company got its start in 1851 and has led the way in sewing technology ever since.
I.M. Singer & Company was founded by Isaac Merritt Singer after he observed another inventor’s sewing machine and decided he could do the job better.
He invented the world’s first sewing machine that had a treadle, a table to support the cloth, and the types of mechanics that would later be adopted by most machines.
Within just a few short years of its beginnings, Singer was the leading sewing machine manufacturer in the country.
These very first Singer machines cost $100, a huge sum of money in the 1850’s. To the pleasure of women everywhere, the company offered installment payment plans, a new concept at the time that allowed people of modest means to own a machine.
The Singer sewing machine company continued to grow, opening offices in Paris, Scotland, and Brazil over the next few years, and continuing to gather patents for many neat additions to its machines.
Over the next several decades, factories would be opened worldwide, and sales would continue to grow at an amazing rate.
The introduction of an electric motor further added to the future versatility and desirability of Singer sewing machines in the 1880’s, and in 1892, Singer introduced the first commercial zig zag machine.
By the 1950’s, Singer had annual sales topping $500 million dollars and, in a brilliant marketing maneuver, had opened up many Singer Sewing Centers, where classes were taught to women wishing to learn to sew on machines.
Over the past 150 years, The Singer Company has continued to bring innovation and technology to the world of sewing.
Now, the company is part of SVP Worldwide, which owns the Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking brands of sewing machines, as well. (SVP standing for Singer, Viking, and Pfaff.)
SVP Worldwide is owned by Kohlberg & Company, LLC, and holds a large share of the sewing machine market. Singer sewing machines are sure to be around for a long, long time.
