Donny Cathey, 49, is president of Cathey's Sewing and Vacuum, continuing a family tradition that began when his father, Friou started selling vacuum cleaners on Stone Avenue in 1954.
Last year, Cathey's made Inc. magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private businesses in the country. "We were No. 4,738," Cathey said.
Cathey's has four stores and 40 employees, offering repair, resale and new sales of vacuum cleaners and sewing machines.
Its sewing-machine business is located in two Jo-Ann Fabrics stores.
Q: Which of your products requires the most customer service?
A: Sewing, definitely. We offer sewing clubs and classes. When you're selling a top-of-the line sewing product, there is a relationship with your customer, whereas if we sell you a fabulous top-of-the-line Miele vacuum cleaner, chances are you don't need classes on how to use it.
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Q: Which generates the most revenue?
A: The sewing side of the business generates 65 percent of our gross revenues.
Q: What's the biggest change in your business from your dad's time?
A: The sophistication of the units — both vacuums and sewing machines. And from the vacuum standpoint, there are fewer stores such as mine. Your big-box stores have taken over a lot of the sales, and vacuum cleaners have become a bit more of a disposable item.
Q: How do you compete with the bigger stores?
A: We became a niche business and became experts in the field that we represent. You have to do what you do better than the people around you. We chose to compete with the big-box stores as far as price goes, and then we offer better products.
We sell a lot of $49.99 machines and, trust me, we don't make much money on them. We try to be competitive in the market.
Q: You also sell used machines. How big a part of the business is that?
A: We sell used machines every day, but no more than 10 percent of our totals, nor more than 2 percent of revenues. Years ago, there was much more of a used market than there is now. The price of vacuums has come down. When you buy a machine for $49.99, they're disposable. Usually, you do not bring that machine in for repair.
Q: What's been the biggest factor in your growth?
A: People. A business can only be as good as those people you employ. We try to act like a bigger company and offer health insurance, paid holidays, paid vacations, all those things.
Cathey's locations
• Cathey's Vac & Sew 5701 E. Speedway 8700 N. Oracle Road
• Cathey's Sewing Center (inside Jo-Ann Fabrics stores) 7255 E. Broadway 3906 N. Oracle Road