White Sewing Machine Company

The White Sewing Machine Company was a sewing machine company founded by Thomas H. White in 1866 and based in Cleveland, Ohio. It produced the White Sewing Machine and White Rotary machine, along with supplying private label sewing machines to Sears Roebuck and Co between the 1920s and 1950s. Later, it diversified its product lines and became White Consolidated Industries (WCI) in 1964. WCI was acquired by Electrolux in 1986.

History

Founded as the White Manufacturing Company in 1866, it took the White Sewing Machine Company name in 1876.[1] White Sewing Machines won numerous awards at international expositions, including the 1889 Universelle Exposition in Paris. White began supplying sewing machines to Sears Roebuck and Co in 1924.[1] By the 1930s, all Sears sewing machines were Whites rebadged as Kenmore

White Motor Company

In 1900, Thomas White's son, Rollin, developed a steam engine, using a corner of one of his father's factories to start building automobiles. In 1906, the automotive venture was spun off as its own company, the White Motor Company.[4] By 1923, the White Sewing Machine Company had divested all side ventures to focus solely on sewing machines and accessories.[4]

Later history

By the early 1950s, however, White was losing money amid a flood of cheaper imported sewing machines and the loss of a supplier contract from Sears, which had represented 40 percent of White's business.[4] Edward Reddig became company president in 1955, and he led an aggressive campaign of shifting manufacturing overseas, slashing domestic manufacturing, and diversification. White moved heavily into appliances, tools and machinery, acquiring appliance brands such as Kelvinator (from American Motors), Gibson, Philco (from Ford Motor Company/GTE) and Franklin (a private label supplier, from Studebaker-Worthington).[4] To reflect this, the company renamed itself White Consolidated Industries (WCI) in 1964.[1] WCI purchased Westinghouse's major appliance business in 1975, which resulted in creation of the White-Westinghouse brand name.[4] In 1979, WCI bought the Frigidaire appliance line from General Motors.[4]

WCI was acquired by Electrolux in 1986.[5][6]

In 2006 Electrolux spun off a number of its lines under the Husqvarna (including variations of the Husqvarna) brand name. The White line of sewing machines was consolidated into the lower end Husqvarna Viking brand after this spinoff. The White-Westinghouse brand name remained with Electrolux and that name is the only remnant of the "White Sewing Machine Company" name, however the brand line included no sewing machines.

New White-branded sewing machines models have not been manufactured since the Husqvarna spinoff in 2006. Singer, Husqvarna Viking and Pfaff brands are now all owned by SVP Worldwide. Though not advertised, SVP provides all of their user manuals for all of their brands including the "White" brand through the Singer brand website.[7]

powered	Treadle, hand crank, add-on electric
free label	Material
free text	Fabric
free label1	Stitch
free text1	Lockstitch
free label2	Feed
free text2	Drop
free label3	Needle(s)
free text3	One 15x1

White Sewing Machine Company

History

White Motor Company

Later history

Notable sewing machines

White Sewing Machine

White Family Rotary

See also

External links

References