Joshua Heilmann: First Hand Embroidery Machine 

• Joshua Heilmann (1796–1848) succeeded in developing the first hand embroidery machine.
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French Industrial Exposition

• The hand embroidery machine was shown at the French Industrial Exposition.
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Saurer

• Saurer established in Swizzland. 
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Isaak Gröbli: Schiffli Prototype

• The first Schiffli embroidery machine was invented by Isaak Gröbli (1822–1917).
• He was interested in combining the technology of hand embroidery machine with sewing machine.
• He then developed a prototype at Benninger AG in the municipality of Uzwil, Switzerland.
• This machine (length 1.5yards) had 24 needles. However, only one needle was working normally.
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Isaak Gröbli & J. Rieter: Schiffli Embroidery Machine

• In 1864, J. Rieter helped Isaak Gröbli to further develop the invention in Winterthur.
• Gröbli and Rieter then spent several years improving the machine.
• The first practical Schiffli machines were made in 1868.
• However, the machine's full potential was not realized until the beginning of the 1870s.

• Famous Hand Embroidery Machine Enterprises
• Famous enterprises that produce hand embroidery machine:
• Martini, Tanner, and Adolph Saurer

• Schiffi
• Schiffi machine’s first international delivery was made to Glasgow,
• and then in 1876 to New York.
• By 1880, Rieter had sold more than 300 Schiffli embroidery machines.
• But since then, there has been no available pattern-making system for many years.

• Competition
• Saurer and Martini began to compete.
• The German machine manufacturers J.C. & H. Dietrich (later known as the VOMAG)
• and the Maschinenfabrik Kappel AG also began building machines.
• All of these companies competed for business in the textile industry
• that was centered in eastern Switzerland and in particular St. Gallen.
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• Isaak Gröbli
• Isaak Gröbli began experimenting combining jacquard techniques
• (also used to guide the design of weaving machines) in the manufacture of new machines.
• This revolutionary thinking and experimentation
• led to the development of automation,
• which greatly improved modern embroidery machine technology.

• Automatic Schiffli Embroidery Machine
• Isaac Groebli's eldest son invented the automatic Schiffli embroidery machine.
• This dispensed with the pantograph and
• incorporated a Jacquard system of punched cards to create the design.

• Swiss Immigrated to New Jersey
• Schiffli machines were imported, and many Swiss immigrated
• from the canton of St. Gallen to Hudson County, New Jersey
• and helped establish the industry there.
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• Plauen
• Plauen in Germany was well known for its machine and lace industry.

• Schiffli embroidery industry in the United States
• Both Plauen and Saurer launch their 10-yard Schiffli embroidery machine.
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• From 1890 to 1906, Schiffli embroidery industry in the United States increased significantly.
• 143 factories were established, with 600 Schiffli embroidery machines.
• Most of them are concentrated in Hudson County,
• because of its proximity to New York's garment industry.

• Robert Zahn
• Robert Zahn, the chief engineer at VOMAG,
• has developed a completely new automated embroidery machine
• that was superior to other machines on the market.

• The Decline of Hand Embroidery Machine
• There were 4,862 Schiffli embroidery machines in operation in Switzerland.
• By comparison, there were 15,671 hand embroidery machines were still in operation.
• However, hand machines were clearly in decline after 1890.

• American Embroidery Industry 
• American embroidery industry has developed to 241 Schiffli embroidery factories and 5900 employees;
• 248 hand embroidery factories and 2,500 employees.
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• Singer Sewing Machine Co. began advertising pantograph powered six-head embroidery machines,
• but they stopped produce them in the late 1930s.

• Embroidery Became Popular
• Popular fashion styles used a lot of embroidery, and practitioners received the highest returns ever.
• Some of the most difficult embroideries including Spanish shawls were also being tried.

• Max Bretschneider & Carl Wurker
• Max Bretschneider helped Carl Wurker to design the first card reading automatic sewing machine.
• As a result, multi-head embroidery machines were becoming smaller and more automated.
• The prototype was only a single head, but 3-head machine had soon became a standard,
• and by 1940 there were 3,000 Wurker machines in use.
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• Paul Gunold: Pattern-making
• Paul Gunold started his embroidery pattern design and pattern-making business in Plauen.

• Meistergram
• In Cleveland, Ohio, E.B. Meister and his brothers developed a machine - 'Meistergram'
• running by pantograph for producing a variety of monograms, it looked like hand-embroidered. 

• Organizations
• Embroidery Bureau was set up by the Commercial Council of Northern Hudson County.
• Later, some people from it came out and founded Schiffli Lace & Designs Manufacturers Association with other people.

• WWII
• The decline of embroidery was over.
• During World War II, 90% of U.S war emblems were manufactured on Schiffli embroidery machines.

• Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co.
• Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. founded in 1944.
• This is the parent company of Tajima Industries.

• Embroidery Workers in the U.S
• American embroidery workers were poorly paid in the mid 40s.
• In 1942, an embroidery worker earned $19 cents/hr.
• Four years later, an experienced embroidery worker was paid $1.50/ hr.

• HAPPY Industries Co.
• HAPPY Industries Co. (from Japan) began to produce computerized embroidery machines
• and named the brand "HAPPY".

• HAPPY Industries Co.
• HAPPY embroidery machines were exported to foreign countries,
• the main market were Asia and America.

• Paul Gunold
• Paul Gunold left war-torn Plauen with his family at the end of April,
• and three weeks later he started his new pattern-making business in Stockstadt.

• Erik Gross: First Multi-head Mechanical Embroidery Machine In U.S 
• Based on a "Wurker" embroidery machine,
• Erik Gross produced the first multi-head mechanical embroidery machine that made in the United States.
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• Lenny LaVeghetta Invention
• Lenny LaVeghetta invented a device that stopped automatically when thread run out or broken,
• it used a bell or light to alert the worker.
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• C. Schneider International Designers & Punchers
• Coleman Schneider founded C. Schneider International Designers & Punchers in New Jersey.
• It was the only company in the United States that can provide pattern paper tape for "Gross" embroidery machines.
• Later, they also began to provide services for Schiffli embroidery machines.

• Zangs
• Zangs began producing multi-head embroidery machines.

• LÄSSER
• LÄSSER established.

• The Textile Workers 
• The Textile Workers of America, which represented 80% of the embroidery workers,
• has seen its representation drop to less than 50% in 20 years.
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• Schiffli Embroidery Factories Moving South 
• Schiffli embroidery factories began moving south, establishing based in the Carolinas and Georgia.
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• Erik Gross
• Representative company that makes multi-head Embroidery machines in the U.S market
• was Erik Gross Embroidery Automat Inc.
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• Markscheffel & Zangs 
• After the war, multi-head embroidery technology developed by leaps and bounds based on "Wurker".
• Markscheffel Co. and Zangs Co. first worked closely together.
• They exhibited their new machines at European fairs in 1952 and 1953.
• At that time, Marco and Zangs were the leading suppliers of
• multi-head embroidery machines in the Japanese market.
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• Schiffli Lace & Embroidery Manufacturers
• Embroidery Bureau and Schiffli Lace & Embroidery Manufacturers Association are merged, with the latter's name.
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• Yoshio Shibata
• Elena Industries of Ichinomiya, Japan (Yoshio Shibata's family fashion business)
• bought a "Gross" multi-head embroidery machine in the U.S.
• Due to the unsuitable specifications of the machine, in order to better meet the needs of the company,
• Shibata began to work on an embroidery machine.
• In 1959, a new machine was created for internal use only.

• Erik Gross Invention
• Thanks to Erik Gross for inventing the skip stitch device t
• hat allows the frame to move without needle penetrating the fabric.
• A few years later, he relinquished his patent on his invention.

• Tajima multi-head automatic embroidery machines
• Tokai Industrial Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. began
• the production of Tajima multi-head automatic embroidery machines.
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• Barudan Embroidery Machine
• The first Barudan embroidery machine appeared in the market.

• Paul Gunold's Son founded Stickma 
• Paul Gunold's son, founded Stickma in Germany,
• which sold embroidery thread and other accessories.

• The Glory and Failure of Eltac Co.
• Eltac Co. in Japan, began to manufacture embroidery machines.
• They were the first in the world to introduce the electronically controlled 8-unit paper tape machine
• into multi-head embroidery machines.
• Eltac Machines were mainly sold in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asia,
• and the main agent is Hong Kong Hanxing Company.
• Happy Machine Co.  took over production of its embroidery machines when Eltac Co. went bankrupt.
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• Sidney O. Beck's Invention
• Sidney O. Beck, a clockmaker at the Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla.,
• developed a machine for precise embroidery of military characters on the name tape.

• Coleman Schneider: ‘Machine-Made Embroidery’
• Coleman Schneider has published his first book on Embroidery ‘Machine-Made Embroidery’.

• Coleman Schneider: The Start of Computerized Pattern-making System
• Coleman Schneider commissioned Auto-trol (a computer research and digital business based in Arvada, Colorado),
• to develop a computerized pattern-making system for multi-head embroidery machines.
• Auto-trol hired a team of engineers, including Randall Melton and Bill Childs, to work on the project.
• The first demo was actually used in Schneider’s factory,
• but unfortunately Auto-trol sold the project before it was fully completed.

• Innovation of Embroidery Machine
• The application of electronic technology on Shiffli embroidery machine brought the innovation of embroidery machine.

• Bill Childs & Randall Melton: A Continuation of Computerized Pattern-making System
• Bill Childs and Randall Melton, the founders of Melco Industries,
• were employed by Auto-Trol in 1969 as part of a project
• to develop a computerized embroidery pattern-making system.
• Now they are starting to refine it further based on the original project.

• Golias's New Department
• Golias introduces their mechanical embroidery machine,
• with an average speed of 300-400 stitches per minute.
• Golias set up a new department to look after his new products:
• Ultramatic Embroidery Machine Co.
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• Zangs
• Zangs roll-out electronic muti-head embroidery machine.

• Became A Trend
• Twill cargo pants with embroidered back pockets had become the most popular trend,
• which stimulated the public's acceptance of embroidery,
• embroidery machine sales and the active level of contract signing.

• Japanese Market
• It is reported that there are 13,000 multi-head embroidery machines in Japan, most of them are mechanical,
• and the competition focused on developing fully computerized machines.
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• Hirsch International
• Harry Hirsch imported Tajima mechanical multi-head embroidery machines through Hirsch International.
• In 1994, Hirsch International went public at $8 a share.
• On NASDAQ - the National Association of Securities Dealers automated quotation sheet as: HRSH.
• It was the first listed company in the American embroidery industry.

• Melco: The World's First Computerized Embroidery Pattern-making System ‘Digitrac’
• Melco Industries introduced the world's first computerized Embroidery pattern-making system ‘Digitrac’,
• which was sold to Goda Embroidery Co. located in Osaka, Japan.
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• Ultramatic At the Bobbin Show
• Ultramatic presented its first single-needle 6-head computer embroidery machine at the Bobbin Show.

• Meistergram At the Bobbin Show
• Meistergram presented its first character computerized embroidery machine at the Bobbin Show.
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• Computerized Embroidery Machine 
• Barudan made their first fully computerized multi-head embroidery machine.
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• Randall Melton and William Childs also developed a character computerized embroidery machine
• for Ultramatic Machine Co. and they obtained the patent right of "curved keyboard character".

• Tajima & Barudan
• Tajima Industries Ltd. introduces its first computerized multi-head embroidery machine (TMBE).
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• Barudan Co. Ltd launches its first computerized embroidery pattern-making system.

• Wilcom
• In Sydne, Bill Wilson and Robert Pongrass, founded Wilcom
• to develop and sell computerized embroidery pattern-making system.

• Erik Gross
• The intensifying competition finally forced Erik Gross, the inventor of skip stitch device,
• to close his embroidery machine business.
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• Three Main Developments In Late 70s 
• Three main developments during this period are:
• automatic thread cutting
• automatic colour changing
• 8-unit electronic paper tape reader
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• Computerize Schiffli Embroidery Machine
• Moritz Embroidery Works was the first company to computerize its Schiffli embroidery machine
• using product made by Wilcom.

• Tas Tsonis & Brian Goldberg
• Tas Tsonis and Brian Goldberg founded Pulse Microsystems in their basement.
• They developed the first pattern archiving software and network management software
• as well as data acquisition software for the embroidery industry.
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• The First Computerized Lässer Embroidery Machine
• The first computerized Lässer embroidery machine was developed,
• which was successfully put into operation in neighbouring town Lustenau (AT) the following year.
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• G+S Inc. 
• G+S Inc. (Gunold + Stickma) operates yarn and pattern-making services.
• Later, its products expanded to embroidery accessories,
• pattern-making equipment and pattern-making software.
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• First Computerized Embroidery Machine In China
• Jiao Weili and other people from Suzhou, Jiangsu
• developed the first computerized embroidery machine in China.

• ZSK
• Zangs is reorganized to ZSK.

• ‘Stitches Magazine’ 
• ‘Stitches Magazine’ was first published in May.
• After that, it also hosted its first Embroidery Conference.
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• Embroidery Competition
• The first "Stitch-Off" Embroidery Competition was held at The Press Expo in Denver.

• Melco: 'Epicor'
• Melco introduces an electronic control system named 'Epicor',
• which was the first one to provide electronic control system
• separately from computerized embroidery machine.

• Saurer Group Holding Inc. & Melco 
• Saurer Group Holding Inc. took the main controlling stake in Melco Industries.

Wilcom and Melco

Wilcom and Melco Industries exchanged their ownership of the technology.

• Wilcom Graphic Applications
• Wilcom and Mark Steinberg's Graphic Applications merged to Wilcom Graphic Applications.

• Large embroidery factories
• The trend of buying large embroidery factories
• and printing manufacturers continues unabated.
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• Melco
• Melco Embroidery Systems introduced a new Embroidery machine, ‘Advantage 18’,
• which can use 18 colours thread with one needle.
• It used pneumatic technology so that the embroidery machine
• can automatic thread cutting, thread continuing and threading. 

• G+S (Gunold + Stickma): 'One-Stop software'
• G+S (Gunold + Stickma) introduces its 'One-Stop software',
• which claimed to automatically take patterns scanned
• in nine colors without human intervention.
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• Tajima
• Tajima developed a hat frame that can be rotated 270 degrees,
• so that the finished hat can really be fully embroidered from left ear to right ear.

• Floriani Prize
• After the industry pioneer Walter A. Floriani Sr passed away,
• the Floriani Prize has been created by Stitches Magazine
• to honour those who have contributed to the education of embroidery over a lifetime.
• The first recipient was Walter A. Floriani Sr.
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• Tajima
• Tajima added laser cutting technology to their embroidery machines.

• Gunold + Stickma of America
• Gunold + Stickma of America separated the two departments into two individual companies:
• Gunold + Stickma worked on embroidery accessories and fittings. Gunold Technology worked on softwares, designs, and trims. The split was triggered by the split of its parent company in Germany. As part of the spin-off, C. Beerli AG got 50% ownership of Gunold + Stickma GmbH.
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• Ronald Segal
• Ronald Segal, the founder of Bobbin exhibition (founded in 1960) and Bobbin magazine (founded in 1959) passed away. Bobbin has gradually become a main event in North America to showcase new embroidery techniques and machines.
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• Coleman Schneider: The Second Floriani Award
• Coleman Schneider received the second Floriani Award for lifetime achievement in Embroidery education.
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• Embroidery Hall of Fame
• Embroidery Hall of Fame was founded by Stylist Magazine.
• The first finalists are:

• Softwares at Bobbin Exhibition
• Launch AutoPunch and Color PhotoStitch softwares were shown at Bobbin Exhibition.
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• Textile Techonologies LLC: New Way To Buy Digital Software
• Textile Techonologies LLC introduced a new way to buy digital software,
• PowerStitch Pay As You Go allows you to use digital programs for free and only pay when you
• export the design to machine format. Any money spent on the design goes directly to the software owner.

• SWF East and SWF Mesa
• SWF East and SWF Mesa introduced single head to 12-head embroidery machines from SWF to The U.S market.

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• Compucon

Compucon presented its new Embroidery Operating System (EOS)-digitization and editing software at ITMA in Paris.

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• Tajima
• Tajima introduced its high-speed embroidery machines - TMFN series
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• Stitches Magazine
• Stitches Magazine published profitable embroidery for the first time,
• the first magazine topic was about home embroidery.

• SWF East and SWF Mesa
• SWF East and SWF Mesa offered small embroidery machines designed
• for home embroidery and commercial embroiderers.
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• Compucon
• Compuncon was the first and only ISO9001 certified embroidery software supplier,
• it is engaged in the design, development, supply, sales, distribution, installation and application of software products.

• Brother
• Brother launched a network software ‘BINS’ for connecting embroidery machine operation.

• Melco
• Melco introduced Amaya embroidery machine,
• which was a network embroidery machine with automatic thread feeder,
• so that embroidery workers did not need backing for most embroideries.
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• Renaissance
• Great Notions launched a single head with 9 needles embroidery machine,
• called Renaissance in the US market.
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• Barudan: Renaissance
• Barudan launched Elite Junior Embroidery machine, a smaller and more convenient embroidery machine,
• suitable for the needs of the home embroidery.
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• Pantograms: M.E.O.W
• Pantograms launched a portable embroidery machine system,
• called M.E.O.W (Machine Embroidery On Wheels).
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• LÄSSER & Saurer 
• LÄSSER Holding AG acquires Saurer
•