Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyndi Grome.
Hi Cyndi, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Our company was founded in 1950 by my great-grandfather and grandfather, with my dad joining in 1958. I became part of the team in 1982. In the early days, our company was small, mainly focused on offering service and selling a few machines. When I joined, I brought a fresh perspective. Since we primarily served home sewists, I began revamping the store’s look and introducing new items and notions that I believed would make sewing easier for them. As the industry evolved, I shifted our focus to include machine embroidery and fabrics, while still maintaining a strong emphasis on our service department to provide much-needed care for customers’ machines. Today, with two locations, we offer an even wider range of products and services, including a variety of sewing, quilting, and embroidery classes to better serve our community.
Our San Antonio location was established in the early 1970s, at a time when 2,400 square feet was considered a spacious retail footprint. This store has retained its original charm and continues to offer a warm, welcoming, home-like atmosphere. It is located at 4719 Manitou, San Antonio, TX 78228.
Our Universal City location was acquired in December 2019, and we officially opened our doors on September 1. With 8,000 square feet of space, this serves as our larger location. You can find us at 2040 Universal City Blvd., Universal City, TX 78148, conveniently located just off Pat Booker Road.
While we strive to offer a consistent selection of products at both locations, the difference in size makes it challenging to carry identical inventory. We encourage customers to visit both stores, as each location offers unique items you won’t want to miss.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The journey has certainly had its challenges. In the early 90s, during the recession, I vividly remember my father feeling immense stress, uncertain if the business could survive. To navigate through this tough period, we restructured our approach to purchasing products and streamlined our operations, ensuring we could keep the business afloat.
Then, in the early 2000s, our business was hit by a break-in. All of our inventory, including sewing machines and essential tools from our service department, was stolen. This was an incredibly difficult time for us. Given the circumstances, the companies we worked with shifted us to a C.O.D. basis, unsure if we would be able to avoid bankruptcy. Fortunately, our long-standing reputation helped, and our customers were incredibly understanding. Many of them pre-paid for their orders, allowing us to restock and continue our operations. Their support was crucial in helping us weather that storm.
As if that weren’t enough, the early 2000s also brought a stock market crash. Fortunately, I had anticipated this and had already begun to slow down our purchasing. However, our service department flourished, as more consumers found it too expensive to have their garments altered professionally and chose to handle alterations themselves.
Looking back, I am grateful to God that we made it through those challenging times, and it’s thanks to the resilience of both our team and our loyal customers.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Grome’s Sewing Machine Company?
Our company is a longstanding leader within our industry and the longest-operating business of its kind in South Central Texas. We are proud to remain a family-owned and operated organization, celebrating 76 years of service this year.
We specialize in the sale of sewing machines, embroidery machines, sergers, and quilting machines, complemented by a wide selection of fabrics, notions, and sewing accessories. Our product offerings include trusted brands such as Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, Singer, Janome, Elna, Juki, Brother, and Grace Longarm products. Rather than favoring a single brand, we take pride in offering a carefully curated selection to meet the diverse needs of our customers. Each brand provides unique features and capabilities, ensuring that every sewist can find the right tools to successfully complete their projects.
What truly sets us apart is our identity as a family-owned business. We are deeply committed to providing exceptional customer care and personalized service. For us, every customer interaction matters. We strive to ensure that each person leaves our store with a positive experience, knowing that our reputation is built not just on the products we carry, but on the relationships we cultivate.
As a company, we offer exceptional value through our comprehensive range of products and services. This includes high-quality sewing, quilting, and embroidery machines, complimentary lessons with machine purchases, and a full-service department staffed by experienced technicians. In addition, we provide an extensive selection of fabrics, notions, and accessories to support every level of sewing expertise.
Today, our marketing manager represents the fifth generation of our family business. Across our two locations, customers will often find a member of our family available to assist, ensuring continuity, knowledge, and a personal touch. Our team includes two sisters, two brothers from the original Grome family, and my daughter, who proudly continues our legacy into the fifth generation.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
In all honesty, traditional sewing has never quite been my forte—I tend to lose interest somewhere between the first and fiftieth straight stitch. My passion lies in creativity, which is why I naturally gravitate toward embroidery machines. They allow for far more artistic expression, and I especially enjoy incorporating their decorative stitches into my projects as well.
While quilting is not my primary specialty, I have completed a few quilts that I’m quite proud of—though, true to form, they all feature embroidery. I greatly admire the talent of our customers, who can look at our beautiful fabrics and envision stunning, traditional quilts. When I see those same fabrics, however, my first thought is always, “What can I embroider on this?”
So, while I may not fit the mold of a traditional quilter or sewist, I like to think I bring a slightly more embellished perspective to the craft.
Pricing:
- machines range at 299.00 on up
- fabrics range from 8.99 on up
- We promote sales monthly
Contact Info:
- Website: gromes.com
- Facebook: gromessewingmachine
- Youtube: gromessewing
- Other: TikTok: @gromes.sewing
Youtube: @gromessewing
