ABSTRACT
Shortly after winning the sewing machine patent war in the United States in 1863 and establishing itself as a major US manufacturing company, Singer plants opened around the world to meet increasing global demand. This was an epoch-making event in the history of global manufacturing and illustrates the determinants behind why and how manufacturing companies expanded to global markets. As with the makers of radiators, reapers, bicycles, and automobiles, mass manufacturing and patenting were pivotal for Singer to win domestic and global markets for sewing machines. During the first five decades of activity, the US-headquartered company exceeded the production and international sales of any other manufacturer of sewing machines (Wilkins 1970; Hounshell 1984: 94–96).
