Whatever Happened To Necchi Sewing Machines
*This post may include affiliate links, which allow me to make a small commission off your purchases. The money is earned at no additional cost to you.
Necchi sewing machines were very robust and made by the Necchi family from Pavia, Italy. But, what is the origin story? And, what is going on with them in the modern day?
Necchi’s Start
Necchi began as a iron and copper business in 1865. This business was operated by Ambrogio Necchi. Eventually, the business expanded to producing iron bridges, canopies, agricultural machinery, and tools. In 1916, Ambroigio pass away leaving behind a wife, two daughters, and a son. His son, Vittorio, took over the business with no interests in it at all.
Things Turned Around
Things changed when Vittorio’s wife requested a home sewing machine. Rather than purchasing a machine, Vittorio decided to make good use of the caste iron in his family business. This later inspired him to start his own sewing machine company.
Necchi Grew and it Grew
The company had a number of key players who grew the company and made it popular. However, a problem was brewing. Since Necchi built sewing machines to outlive consumers, the market quickly became over saturated. Let’s face it. There’s only so many features one can add to a sewing machine for encouraging customers to upgrade!
In the End
Necchi decided to diversify its business by making compressors for Kelvinator refrigerators. However, this was a terrible business move. It was bad because compressors are expensive to manufacture. The costs of manufacturing compressors coupled with the costs of doing business caused Necchi to incur debt.
Unfortunately, Vittorio passed away without any heirs. His surviving sisters didn’t want to take over the business. So, they sold rights for another company to use the business name. Over the years, rights to the business name have changed hands a number of times.
- Allyn International based out of Colorado distributed Necchi machines in the 1980’s.
- Bagat out of Yugoslavia sold machines for years.
- Janome had rights to sell sewing machines in the 2000’s all the way up to early 2024.
- By April of 2024, ABM International gained rights to use the Necchi name.
No Comments