ABOUT US Bob McDougal Sewing Machine Co., Inc is a 60+ year old, third generation, family owned and operated firm that was built upon strong Christian principles while offering the highest quality products at a competitive price and the highest quality service any dealership in America could provide. It is certainly one of the oldest and most respected independent sewing machine dealers in America. Today, it is owned and operated by Doug Welch, the founder's oldest grandson who has been with the company since 1972 and under his successful management and direction since the early 1980's. Through the years, Bob McDougal's has been an authorized dealer for almost every major brand of sewing machine and serger manufactured. Included in the list are Brother, Bernina, Consew, Dressmaker, Elna, Elnita, Feiyue, Husqvarna, Jaguar, Juki, Necchi, Nelco, New Home, Pacesetter, Pfaff, Riccar, Simplicity, Singer, Viking, and White. As for now, our most successful lines are the Elna and Brother lines. We have been selling the Elna line since they came to America in 1949 and the Brother Pacesetter line since 1993. As tradition might have it, our goal is the same today as it was in the beginning: To have honest dealings at all times and offer only the best machines on the market. There are many good reasons for our success, but one of the main reasons is the simple fact that customer satisfaction is our top priority. We realize that if you are not satisfied, we would not be here. Nor do we believe in trying to sell you merchandise because it's what we have in stock or because we're overloaded with it, but rather it is what you want or need. Bob McDougal Sewing Machine Co was established in August, 1940 by Bob McDougal. Bob was a 35 year old man discontent with the business ethics of his employer, Singer Company, where he had been a successful store manager for about 2 years. Deciding to leave Singer to form his own sewing machine business, Bob began operations from his garage. Quickly outgrowing those facilities, by 1944 he had saved enough money to pay cash for two home sites at the corner of 13th and Yale street in the elite Heights area of Houston where we continue to operate today. During the next couple of years, Bob built additions to the sides, the front and the rear of the two homes until he had over 6, 000 square feet of facilities including a sales floor, a service center, office space, classrooms and a warehouse. During the 1940's and 1950's, he had developed one of the largest, strongest and most respected independent dealerships in America. Bob McDougal's quickly became one of the largest New Home and Necchi dealerships in America. He also had his own brand of sewing machine, the Bob McDougal 66-class head, imported direct from Japan to help support his enormous rental business which consisted of over 3, 000 units. To support this tremendous success he had as many as 25 full-time employees including a general manager, eight salespeople, six service technicians, and a full staff of teachers and office personnel. Upon his untimely death in November, 1965, at the age of 60, his wife, Evalyn took control of the business. Although she had been actively involved in the business in the early years, she was somewhat overwhelmed with the enormous task of operating a thriving multi-line dealership. Turning to her brother to help manage the business, the business lacked the direction, vision and driving force which Bob McDougal had given for 25 years. The next few years were still quite healthy though ; as a strong foundation, a growing customer base and a great respect for honesty and quality had been established. Since Bob and Evalyn only had one daughter, Joyce, who married Leslie Welch, a Southern Baptist minister, the line of business succession and leadership management skipped a generation. In the 1970's, two of Bob's grandsons, Doug and