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Our location on Penn St. in Reading, PA (circa 1950's)
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In 1918, eighteen-year-old Frederick Singer started Singer Crockery Company in a 15-foot-wide store in Reading, PA. Traveling throughout eastern Pennsylvania, he sold china and foodservice supplies to hotels, bars and restaurants.
Soon Fred's brothers joined him in the business and they moved to a larger location, doubling their space. The next 30 years brought several more moves and expansions. The company added a contract design department and increased its inventory to include equipment, furniture and paper goods. In 1967, Singer built a 53,000-square-foot showroom/office/warehouse complex in Wyomissing, PA.
As the company continued to grow, Singer expanded the geography it served to a 150-mile radius, including eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. In 1986, the company built a 110,000-square-foot facility in Reading. Singer Equipment Company was named national Dealer of the Year by the industry's trade journal in 1987.
Between 1988 and 2002, two New Jersey design offices were established and Singer opened a 54,000 square foot Philadelphia superstore/office. A design office in New York was added in 2004. The company's service area expanded to include Delaware and Maryland.
Singer's current headquarters in Elverson, PA was built in 2005. The 180,000-square-foot warehouse and office facility, located minutes from the Morgantown exit of the PA Turnpike, will support the company's continued growth and expansion. To maintain a presence in the Reading area, a superstore was established in the company's former Wyomissing location.
Singer was the regional winner of the Customer Choice Dealer Award in 2005, as polled by Foodservice Equipment Reports magazine. The company received the Hall of Fame Equipment Company of the Year Award from the New Jersey Restaurant Association in 2007 and was named Associate Member of the Year by the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association in 2010. Additionally, quite a few Singer projects have received national recognition for their design and innovation.
In 2011, Singer acquired the assets of the M Tucker Co. based in Paterson, NJ. With the new division, Singer became the leading dealer in the greater New York City area and expanded its market coverage from Maryland to Connecticut. It grew to be the fourth largest foodservice equipment and supplies dealer in the country.
The company is now led by the founder's grandson, Fred. Singer has come a long way from that small storefront of 1918, yet remains true to its founding philosophy of offering exceptional service. The company strives to be the most responsive, knowledgeable and friendly supplier to the foodservice industry, providing solutions to its customers’ challenges.
