Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center has been in the same location for 40 years. If a company can be a sage old veteran and tech savvy young innovator at the same time ... Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center is it! Our History Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center was founded by Bruce DeVaughn in the early 1970's. Mr. DeVaughn was one of the original Singer Sewing Machine Men; he sold sewing machines as well as repaired them. When the Singer Company faced financial challenges in the 1960's and 70's, they began cost reduction measures that resulted in the closure of retail stores nationwide. Most of the former employees found careers in other industries. However, some Singer Sewing Machine Men stayed true to their sewing roots and began to open their own retail stores and repair shops throughout the United States. Filling the vacuum (no pun intended) created by the Singer store closings, these industrious entrepreneurs were able to utilize their skills and knowledge to support themselves and their families. Bruce DeVaughn was one of those venerable entrepreneurs. Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center is one of the few remaining repair and retail shops left from that era. In 2001, the current proprietor of Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center, Paul Blakenship, purchased the company. Paul was directly mentored and personally trained by Mr. DeVaughn, and has many rich and memorable stories from that time period. While still very much a product of those foundational roots, Paul and Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center have wisely stayed relevant, technically trained, up-to-date, and in the forefront of all the advancements in sewing machine and vacuum sweeper technology through the years. If a company can be a sage old veteran and tech savvy young innovator at the same time - Paul Blakenship and Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center are it. Fundamentally, Bessemer Sewing and Vacuum Center has always been largely a repeat customer business - and for excellent reasons. Whether it was Mr. DeVaughn originally, or now Paul in the 21st Century, the business goals are exactly the same: > Precision > Craftsmenship > Sturdy, Lasting Repairs > Very Affordable Prices > Attentive, Focused Customer Care and Offering New, Top Quality Sewing Machines, Vacuum Sweepers and Accessories from Manufacturers that mirror the above standards.