Picture a room of computerized machinery.  Add thousands of spools of thread in all colors. Complete the image with the brothers Cabrera, Leo and Eduardo, who run the Singer-Brother Sewing Center.

The store does not sell your grandmother’s sewing machine, that’s for sure. New machines from Brother and Singer feature laser guidance lights, design software that provides near-limitless capabilities and built-in cameras. “ It’s all about programming now,” Leo Cabrera said. “The machine puts out a beautiful array of embroidered colors and patterns, but can also function as a simple sewing machine.”

Leo Cabrera and his father Lupe opened their Singer dealership in their current North Tenth Street location in McAllen in 1984.  Sewing factories soon dominated their business as the Cabreras  responded to calls to troubleshoot and repair the industrial sewing machines and to teach operators the proper use of the new machines.

Instruction in machine use remains a key part of the business, Cabrera said, but now it resembles learning a new computer system. “People may have been sewing for years, but they have to relearn because of the new product features.  For us, it’s not just about selling a machine; it’s teaching them how to use it. That’s what has set us apart all these years, our emphasis on training and product knowledge.  It all goes hand in hand.”  The store has an instructor who provides sewing lessons year round for beginners and those seeking advanced skills and techniques.   Brother machines lead the market share, because of their technology and affordability, he added.

The Cabreras carry embroidering machines as well as electronic quilting frames that attach to standard Brother sewing machines.  Both open up new horizons for home and retail opportunities. In fact, the diversity of machines and their ease of use has prompted some Cabrera customers to open their own  businesses.

“Our main satisfaction in owning a business is being able to help launch other businesses from scratch by offering these products,” Cabrera said.  Offspring they are proud of include alteration shops that have been established inside dry cleaners, home-based and retail embroidery businesses, alteration departments for bridal and tailor shops (new profit centers for existing businesses) and home-based quilting enterprises.

Cabrera said he has witnessed and abetted a resurgence in quilting.  “We love drawing interest to an almost forgotten art.  A lot of people think that quilting’s days are over.  I see it as stronger than ever.”  The Singer Brother Sewing Center had a popular booth at the annual RGV Quilt Show, which was held at the SPI Convention Center in February.   Women lined up to test-drive the quilting frame and various embroidery machines. “Our main objective is to show the attendees what these machine can do and how much fun is it to work with them.  People there always want to see what’s new in sewing, quilting and embroidery.”  After the show, the shop saw a surge of first-time visitors who had found out about them at the show.

“The bottom line is we want people to be more creative, to let their  minds express their creativity in their works of art. I get awed by all those quilts I see every year that are marvelous works of art. It gets you thinking of how much work went into creating these quilts, but that’s less than it used to take when all done by hand.”  The shop also offers in-house embroidering of items like bedspreads and jackets.

The Cabreras’ services are not limited to the new machines they sell and repair. Their large parts inventory enables them to work on prior generations of machines along with old treadle and hand-cranked models. They sell antique sewing machines as nostalgia and decor items.

A small segment of the business is devoted to repairs on industrial sewing machines at upholsterers, boot makers, shoe repair shops, orthopedic offices making prosthetics as well as small manufacturers such as one that makes dog beds. They even do house calls for home sewing machines that are not portable.

“We would like to expand our business and have a quilters’ section, but we need bigger space where we can have classes with machines set aside for quilters,” Cabrera said. “That would get them excited about buying new machines when they make the comparison to what they have at home.”

After 34 years, they have stitched together the elements that keep customers returning and referring their friends.

For more information, call 686-6658.

This story by Eileen Mattei appears in the April 2016 edition of Valley Business Report.