

Before 1963, the first digit in the serial number was the year in which the machine was made.įor the years 1963 to 1982 just click this link to see where your machine may lie. To get an exact date on a vintage Elna, all you have to do is look at the serial number. While you may find some design differences between Janome badged and Elna badged sewing machines, those differences come from the different engineers Janome employs in Japan and Europe. It took the latter company just 2 years to decide to buy Elna and absorb it into their huge corporate structure. Janome owns Elna and many business decisions come from the corporate head office and not just Elna’s headquarters.Įlna’s independence was lost the moment it signed a working agreement with Janome in 2004. Yes, you could say that these two brands are the same company. Production in Europe can be costly so the moving of their manufacturing plants to Asia was another smart business move on the part of Janome. That way Janome could keep some differences between their machines and the ones that they make for Elna. It was a smart business move to keep the design business in Europe. Those are the countries where the Elna sewing machine is made. The countries where Janome now has manufacturing facilities are Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan. All production facilities and manufacturing have been relocated to South East Asia. Only the design wing of the Elna sewing machine is located in Switzerland. Are Elna Sewing Machines Still Made in Switzerland? Right now Elna sewing machines are working on their 80th year and still going strong. The design for Elna’s modern machines is still mostly European but the actual machine is made in South East Asia where the labor and material costs are lower. The good news is that Elna machines are still being made and offer the consumer an affordable option. Some sources may say that production came years earlier but the first sewing machines for the home were introduced in that year. The first sewing machines made by Elna were made in 1940. This move was very beneficial to their own brand of sewing machines as well as kept the sewing machine market with different types of machines. The reason for this turn of events was that Janome wanted access to European engineering and technology. This company bought out Elna in 2006 after a 2-year partnership. While there is still an Elna website, the company exists only as a brand name for the parent company, Janome. 1940 saw the first home models released to the public and Elna was on its way to success. The men realized they were not in a position to get the business off the ground so they agreed with Tavaro SA to help produce the sewing machines. Ramon Casas Robert moved to Switzerland where he met a group of businessmen who helped him put together Elctrina, the company name where Elna came from. If it wasn’t for the Spanish Civil War the Elna sewing machine may never have gotten off the ground.
