Sis Upholstery has a rich history dating back to 1920’s Germany. The company was founded by Francis Xavier Sis, known by all as FX, in 1924. Born and raised in Germany, FX became a Master Upholsterer in 1914. In 1923 FX left Germany to head to America, specifically St. Cloud, MN where his uncle, Joseph Sis, sponsored his immigration. Upon arrival he changed the spelling of his last name from Suess to Sis, the name we operate under today. FX quickly obtained an upholsterer job and in March 1924 his boss offered to sell him the shop. FX purchased the business; thus less than one year after arriving in America Sis Upholstery was founded.
Since then, the company has moved, grown, and adapted, keeping up with industry standards and trends. In 1938, the shop moved to 1412 West Saint Germain Street. At that time automobile upholstery made up most of the shop’s business. Even during the Great Depression, the company continued to grow; FX recalls “I was always busy.” FX Sis passed away in 1978.
This is a family business, passed down from generation to generation. Some of Sis Upholstery’s established employees include:
- Leander Sis, who started in 1938 at 16 and retired in 2005.
- Elmer Lahr, who started in 1931 at age 12. Going out on his own for awhile Elmer eventually came back to Sis, where he worked until retirement in 2007.
- Albert Sis, who started in 1942 at age 19 and retired in 1988.
- Duane Becker, started in 1959 at age 17 and worked until 2004.
- Tom Sis, who started in 1976 at 18, but would often come to work with his dad, Albert, long before his official start date. Tom is still working at the shop today.
FX had two sons, Frank and Robert; both were encouraged to work at the shop whenever they were not busy with their studies. Robert graduated Cathedral High School in 1951 and at the age of 18 went to work in the shop full time.
In April of 1956, Robert took over the business. Many changes in the industry occurred, affecting the upholstery business greatly.
- Auto Upholstery became more prevalent
- Artificial materials replaced natural fibers
- New adhesives and glues were introduced
- Staples fired from air guns proved to be more efficient than tacks driven by hammers
- And many more
To keep up with changes, Robert expanded the shop. He was innovative, and had to be to keep his employees busy, both during economic highs and lows. He retired in 2001 after running the shop for 45 years. Robert Sis passed away in February of 2020.
In 2001, Christopher Sis, Robert’s son, FX’s grandson took over the shop and relocated it to 1621 County Road 137 in Waite Park, MN. In 2016 the shop relocated again to the current location at 6601 County Road 47 in St. Augusta, MN. Today Christopher is the 3rd generation running Sis Upholstery. The rich history and master upholstery skills have been passed down over the years; we still believe in old world craftsmanship and strive for precision with perfection on every job. |
