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Sewing Station • Cedar Park

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Written by Katherine Kennedy Friday, 07 September 2007

After losing his business of more than 20 years to Hurricane Katrina, Perry Picou Sr. relocated to Cedar Park and opened Sewing Station of Austin in May 2006. It provides products and classes to suit sewing needs.

“Viking, one of the brands of sewing machines I sell, told me that my business would be successful here. We looked in the Austin area and found that Cedar Park was the most growing area,” Picou said. “My wife and I chose the location of our business and then chose a home nearby. We like the location; it is easy to get to and in a nice area.”

Sewing Station offers classes for all skill levels, and Picou’s staff is trained on the newest trends in the industry.

Sewing Station employee Amber Davis helps a class attendee.

“We cater to the woman, housewife, professional and any lady who wants to expand her horizons in embroidery and sewing,” Picou said. “There are more young people who want to learn how to sew. The average consumer wants to embellish their own clothes.”

The station sells Viking and Brother machines. According to Picou, they are the best brands on the market because of ease of operation and high quality. The shop places in the top 30 in the nation for sales of both products, Picou said.

“Our customers don’t leave fearful or unable to use their machines. They can be successful with minimal classes because the machines are so easy to operate,” Picou said. “We don’t just sell a box; we sell happiness. We offer the ability to make their own product fast and easy.”

Picou said the success of his company is due to customer service and a friendly, customer-oriented atmosphere. In addition to sewing classes, the shop also can make repairs to customers machines.

“We treat our customers how we want to be treated. Without customer service, you can forget it. Customer satisfaction and loyalty separates us from competition. We aren’t 24th in the nation for sales for no reason,” Picou said. “We also train customers, free of charge, on their machines.”

Picou plans to open two more locations in the Austin area and become the No. 1 sewing machine dealer. He would like to see the interest in the sewing industry grow.

“I would like to get as many kids in the sewing industry or have knowledge of the industry as possible. I would like to see sewing classes back in school,” Picou said. “We work with home-school children and the Girl Scouts to keep them interested in sewing.”

Sewing Station also reaches out to the community by conducting food drives at Thanksgiving and donating to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Picou said he also donates items for premature babies.