PFAFF (german: PFAFF Industriesysteme und Maschinen AG, PFAFF Industrial) is a German

manufacturer Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a ran ...

sewing machine A sewing machine is a machine used to sew fabric and materials together with thread. Sewing machines were invented during the first Industrial Revolution to decrease the amount of manual sewing work performed in clothing companies. Since the inv ...

s and is now owned by the SGSB Co. Ltd.

History

PFAFF was founded in

Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, in 1862 by instrument maker

Georg Michael Pfaff Georg may refer to: * Georg (film), ''Georg'' (film), 1997 *Georg (musical), Estonian musical * Georg (given name) * Georg (surname) * , a Kriegsmarine coastal tanker See also

* George (disambiguation) {{disambiguation ...

(1823–1893). Pfaff's first machine was handmade, and designed to sew leather in the manufacture of shoes. In 1885, Georg Michael Pfaff opened a sewing machine shop in London. The PFAFF factory was expanded and modernized. Georg Pfaff, the second son of the founder, took over the management of the company after his father's death in 1893 and expanded it further with great success. The founder's firstborn son, Jacob Pfaff, died in 1889. His daughter, Lina Pfaff, took over the company in 1917 when her brother Georg died and ran it successfully on a global scale until 1926. Her nephew, Karl Pfaff, took over the company when she retired at the age of seventy-two. It made its one-millionth machine in 1910. Pfaff was bought by Husqvarna Viking in 1999. In 2006 the American equity firm Kohlberg & Company, owner of Singer, acquired Swedish

VSM Group VSM Group AB (Viking Sewing Machines), previously named Husqvarna Sewing Machines is a company based in Huskvarna, Sweden. Founded in 1872, the company is best known for "smart" (computerized) sewing machines and sergers under the brands ''Husqv ...

, owner of Husqvarna Viking and PFAFF, thereby creating

SVP Worldwide SVP Worldwide is an American private company that designs, manufactures, and distributes consumer sewing machines and accessories around the world under three brands: Singer, Husqvarna Viking, and Pfaff. The company's corporate headquarters is lo ...

. In March 2013 the German holding company of SGSB Group Co. Ltd., ShangGong (Europe) Holding Corp. GmbH, took over 100% of the shares of PFAFF Industriesysteme und Maschinen AG. File:Pfaff Pedal-Nähmaschine 30er Jahre.JPG, A PFAFF treadle

File:Pfaff portable sewing machine.JPG, Pfaff portable sewing machine File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F001162-0004, Köln, Textilfabrik Bierbaum-Proenen.jpg, Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F001162-0004, Köln, Cologne Bierbaum-Proenen textile factory; this buttonhole machine works collar buttonholes. File:Fotothek df roe-neg 0006510 012 Besucher bei der Vorführung einer Textilmaschine der Firma Pfaff auf der Technis.jpg, Visitors at the demonstration of a Pfaff textile machine at the 1953 Technical Fair File:Freunde-von-Freunden-Qwstion-Company-Profile-Zurich.jpg, Woman using a Pfaff machine to create a bag

References

Manufacturing companies of Germany German brands Sewing machine brands Companies based in Rhineland-Palatinate Manufacturing companies established in 1862 Kaiserslautern 1862 establishments in Bavaria German companies established in 1862 {{Manufacturing-company-stub