(CLEVELAND) – In 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson was president, the Beatles released Rubber Soul and ‘I Dream of Jeannie’ premiered, Bud Cope was opening a small business in Gainsville, Florida called A1 Sewing.
Today, 40 years later, although pop culture has changed, A1 Sewing is still thriving, having been taken over by Bud’s stepson, Glynn Thrift, in 1991.
“Bud grew the store before I took over in 1991,” Thrift said. “He is still involved with some of the decision making processes.”
Decisions such as deciding to become a Premier Husqvarna Viking Dealer, “We researched other brands and decided to focus solely on Husqvarna Viking because they have the best service record,” Thrift said. “We felt we would also have the backing of the company, which is very important to us.”
Richard Gornik, Husqvarna Viking regional manager and friend of Thrift, recalls when the decision to become a Premier dealer was made.
“They came to (Husqvarna Viking’s annual) convention a commitment to exclusively sell Husqvarna Viking and be the experts on this brand for their customers,” Said Gornik.
It was also a decision that was evident to all involved. “Bud saw the writing on the wall with the other brands,” Thrift said. “He loved the backing we get from Husqvarna Viking. There is definitely a difference.”
And in turn, A1 Sewing is making a difference not only in the sewing world, but also in their community through a variety of charitable endeavors set up by both Thrift and co-owner Pam McIntyre.
A1 Sewing’s employees and customers alike have sewn Cozy Coats for low income children, cancer caps for victims of the life-threatening disease, charity quilts used for both homeless shelters and the pediatric ward of hospitals and also Comfort Bears for the victims of last year’s hurricanes in Florida. “They used their own initiative, made Comfort Bears and drove them to families who had lost everything,” Gornik said.
In addition to sewing for charities, A1 Sewing has directed a large portion of their time to education with classes such as the “Kids Can Sew” program. For five weeks during the summer and at least one Saturday a month kids such as 12 year-old Francine Schulze come in and learn both basic and advanced sewing techniques. For crafters such as Schulze, who owns not only a sewing machine, but also a serger, sewing has become a business venture. “Francine is quite the entrepreneur,” Thrift said. “And she’s capable of operating any machine in the store.”
While some of A1 Sewing’s customers are young beginning sewers such as Schulze, many have been around since the creation of the store. “Some customers have been around for nearly all of the 40 years,” Thrift said. “They come back because they know we care. We have become accustomed to treating our customers like our family.” This treatment not only helps make first-time customers, life-long customers but also increases word of mouth advertising about the programs Thrift and his employees run.
“We try to do something exciting all of the time,” McIntyre said. “Every month there is a new class or promotion because we’ve found its more fun to participate in something different.” They’re approach to programs seems to be working as is their focus on education. “For us, education is having fun and getting away from troubles,” McIntyre said. “We hope that our customers are enjoying the time they spend with us and improving their quality of life through sewing.”
November 2005