• • 1851 - I.M. Singer & Co. established by Isaac M. Singer whose patents resulted in commercially viable sewing machine

    1856 - First treadle-operated machine produced.

    1863 - Firm incorporated as the Singer Manufacturing Company

    1867 - Builds first foreign plant in Glasgow

    1902 - Builds plant in Podolsk, Russia. Singer also absorbs U.S. competitor, the Wheeler & Wilson Manufacturing Company.

    1951-1957 - Domestic sewing machine market collapses due to decline in home sewing in the U.S., as well as Japanese imports taking market share. Singer begins to diversify.

    1963 - Company was renamed the "Singer Company", and diversifies into electronics and aerospace.

    1968 - Singer Company purchases AFCO and places it under the corporation's Climate Control Division - "Singer Furnace Company" .

    1970 - Brand became Singer American Furnace

    1982 - Singer Co.'s Climate Control Division is purchased by it's then president, Richard W. Snyder, and becomes SnyderGeneral Corp. More than half the bank debt ($14 million) was paid back within 9 months, and venture capitalists who invested in Snyder were bought out by early 1984.

    1984 - Singer and Singer American Furnace brand names dropped by SnyderGeneral, and no longer used for HVAC systems.

    1986 - Sewing machine business is spun off to a separate subsidiary as SSMC, Inc.

    1987 - Singer company acquired by Paul A. Bilzerian who quickly sold off eight of the 12 remaining Singer divisions.

    1990 - SSMC Inc. (remnants of original Singer Company) was sold to Semi-Tech Microelectronic's (Far East) Limited. The much-shrunken Singer Company was renamed Bicoastal Corporation.

    1991 - Economic conditions hinder financial growth of the SnyderGeneral company. With global economic recession in full swing, SnyderGeneral sets its eyes on international markets to serve as the prime area for growth. SnyderGeneral subsequently sells Comfortmaker and Arcoaire brand lines to Inter-City Products.

    1994 - The remainder of SnyderGeneral operations are sold to Hong Leong Group Malaysia, which is partially comprised of O.Y.L. Industries Berhad, a manufacturer of residential and light commercial HVAC equipment. SnyderGeneral is renamed "AAF-Mcquay Incorporated" and divided into two major companies: "AAF International" and "McQuay International". AAF International was based in Louisville, KY and manufactured air filtration products and systems including commercial, industrial, and residential air filters, as well as air pollution control products, machinery filtration, and acoustical systems. McQuay International was based in Minneapolis, MN where it designed, manufactured, marketed, and serviced all HVAC systems and products formerly undertaken by SnyderGeneral (with exception to the Arcoaire and Comfortmaker brands previously sold to Inter-City Products). McQuay International sold its products under various brand names, including Wesper, JennFan, Barry Blower, and AAF (commercial and institutional HVAC equipment).

    2006 - McQuay International was acquired by Daikin Industries, a global manufacturer of both commercial and residential air conditioning equipment based in Osaka, Japan.

    2013 - Daikin dropped the McQuay name, ending 80 years of business for the name.

    Some sources indicate that the Singer brand name in HVAC systems has been recently revived by Singer-Asia with Daikin Group producing a line of mini-splits under the rebranded "Singer" name in Thailand, Bangladesh, and India (Singer-Asia). Further research indicates that Singer Bangladesh sells ductless split systems under the Singer name along with other consumer electronics and appliances also bearing the Singer name. This diversification appears to be a spinoff of the original Singer sewing machine company (separate from their climate control division), and began in Bangladesh around 1985 after SnyderGeneral dropped the Singer name from its climate control portfolio. Current Singer brand climate control systems are most assuredly rebranded products from other manufacturers such as Daikin.

    Singer Asia Limited History:

    Operating subsidiaries in Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, - engaged in the retail of a wide variety of household consumer durables (HCDs) with consumer credit and other financial services available to eligible customers. They also operate direct selling business on a large scale in Thailand.

    Bangladesh:

    The presence of Singer in Bangladesh dates back to the British colonial era when the country was a part of the Indian subcontinent. The first operation of Singer in Bangladesh began in 1905.
    

    After the partition of the sub-continent in 1947, two separate states emerged. Bangladesh became a part of Pakistan and formed its eastern wing. Singer in East Pakistan operated as a branch of Singer Pakistan and the products were manufactured in Western Pakistan. After the emergence of Bangladesh on December 16, 1971, the East Pakistan Branch Office of Singer became the Bangladesh headquarters, and the Sewing Machines were imported from various Singer overseas sources.
    

    In 1979 Singer registered as an operating company with 80% of the share held by Singer Sewing Machine Company (SSMC) USA, and 20% by local shareholders. In 1983 the company was listed with Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and offered 20% of its total capitalization. In 2001, it was also listed with the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE). 

    In 1985, Singer began further diversification into other consumer product lines such as electronics, computing, and appliances. Singer Bangladesh even ventured into furniture manufacturing in 2013. Singer is now more a retailer rather than manufacturer, selling various major-brand electronics, appliances, and consumer products such as Apple, Siemens, Samsung, Toshiba, and Dell, as well as rebranded products under the Singer brand name. Singer Bangladesh is currently considered the largest retail chain for consumer electronics and home appliances for the country (Bangladesh).

    India:

    In 1977 the “Indian Sewing Machine Company Limited” incorporated at Bombay, India. The entire business of the the India Branch of Singer Sewing Machine Company, USA was taken over by this new Company. The Company later changed its name to “Singer India Limited” and established Headquarters at Delhi.

    Singer India Limited is one of the leading marketers of sewing machines & small home appliances, and operates manufacturing facilities for sewing machines at Jammu and Kashmir. Singer India has two business segments, sewing products and home appliances like food processors, mixers, blenders, irons, etc. Recently the company added range of room coolers and water heaters to its product portfolio. The company’s products are marketed under the Brand “Singer” & “Merritt”, and also exports sewing machines.

    Singer Current:

    In 2021, Platinum Equity (a global investment firm with more than $25 billion of assets under management and a portfolio of approximately 50 operating companies serving customers worldwide) acquired the controlling stake in SVP-Singer Holdings, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries ("SVP Worldwide"). SVP Worldwide, doing business through SVP-Singer Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates, is the world’s largest consumer sewing machine company, accounting for approximately one out of every three sewing machines sold annually globally. The company has three iconic brands - SINGER®, HUSQVARNA® VIKING®, and PFAFF®. SVP Worldwide has corporate headquarters located in Nashville, TN, and is supported by regional headquarters/sales offices located in Milan (Italy), Mexico City (Mexico), and Sydney (Australia) that, combined, reach consumers in more than 180 countries. SVP Worldwide has manufacturing facilities across Asia and Latin America, multiple R&D centers, a European software development center, and a global supply chain with distribution centers in all regions.

    Products are sold across a network of sewing machine dealers, mass retailers (e.g., Costco, Walmart), specialty retailers (e.g., Joann, Michaels), online retailers (e.g., Amazon), distributors, and through the company’s ~171 internally operated retail stores.

    Singer-Europe and Singer-UK largely operate much like Singer-North America, focusing on the sewing machine market. Singer-Asia combines focus on retail of sewing machines along side other consumer electronics and appliances through their internally operated Singer retail stores, distributors, and online retailers.

¹Excerpts from various industry sources