Who We Are
SINGER Brother Sewing Center
What do moon jumps, saddles, and fashion design have in common? They all need one aspect; proper sewing. Without the essential equipment or know-how, things can quickly go wrong-each thread going through shirt embroideries, household items and fashion choices matter at SINGER Brother Sewing Center in McAllen.
Guadalupe Cabrera began work as a repairman with the Singer Sewing Company in 1973, through the years he worked his way up the corporate ladder into the role of Sales Manager. After gaining national recognition as Top Salesman of the year in 1982, he was offered a dealership with the company providing him ownership of the business. At the time, the Peso devaluation affected the Rio Grande Valley because so much of its economic power was tied into international customers from Mexico. It was a risky proposition but Guadalupe, wary but full of determination, recruited his bookkeeper as partner and took a leap of faith to launch his Singer Sewing Machine dealership.
The humble beginning of Singer Sewing Center was a rough period, by the end of the year-and-a-half mark; Guadalupe’s business partnership dissolved due to ongoing conflict. In order to survive, Guadalupe brought his children into the gold to help run things more smoothly and efficiently. Leonel, Guadalupe’s older son decided to take matters into his own hands. He assisted his father with developing their client base by marketing door-to-door. “When we split up, our business was secluded from the main streets, I had to go out to the neighborhoods and give out business cards to get more customers to come in. I figured that the best form of advertisement was to go out and make it known that we were here. I worked from McAllen to Zapata for two years helping form sales for our store.
Guadalupe’s younger son Eduardo remembers all too well the risks, “Within two years of opening the business, we only had $2,000.00 in our bank account. But my father instilled in us great faith. I always saw a bible on his desk and he would always tell us, “Don’t be afraid of risk, God will see us through” We attribute our blessings to the strong faith in God our Father instilled in us.
Through the door-to-door sales, business picked up and Leonel and Eduardo transitioned into managerial positions as the simple suite became an expanding business. During the early 1990’s all the way to mid 2012, the maquiladora industry came into force from Mexico and provided the boost needed to push Singer Brother Sewing Center into its current success. Today Singer Pro Sewing Center is now Singer Brother Sewing Center, Incorporating both sewing machine companies to provide service to those loyal to each brand. Gudalupe is now retired with benefits after working to establish his family business. Leonel and Eduardo have taken up the reigns and are partners providing services to the community. “As we continue to grow, we have broadened our services. Singer Brother Sewing Center now offers sewing machines, screen printing and embroidery services, a large selection of embroidery & sewing supplies & accessories, and sales of household and industrial sewing, quilting, crafting and embroidery machines.
Singer Brother Sewing Center’s excellence is reflected in its strong community base, community response, and national recognition by the Singer and Brother sewing companies for sales performance-reinforced with a featured article in the (SQE) Sewing, Quilts, and Embroidery magazine which is a nationally distributed magazine. Outstanding sales and service performance have also earned them numerous awards and recognitions in the sewing industry.
Leonel and Eduardo Cabrera take pride in servicing their customers and providing them with the best technical and sewing expertise in the area. Through SINGER Brother Sewing Center, customers are able to sew threads with the best in the business, Leonel concludes, “In all these years, we have been able to launch other businesses and have walked customers through to self-sufficiency and independence. We provide them with free lessons when they purchase a machine, providing technical support, and giving them value like no other.”