Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Ed's USA Announces Community Appreciation Event in Conjunction with Anniversaries

Ed’s USA Auto Rentals, Pottsville has announced a Community Appreciation event in conjunction with the 129th anniversary of the Tilt Silk Mill & the 35th anniversary of Ed’s USA Auto Rentals. 

This event will be held throughout the month of July, and will be on site at 303 North 12th Street, Pottsville PA. 

Ed’s USA will be raffling off 35 prizes to symbolize the number of years that they have been serving our wonderful community. There is absolutely NO PURCHASE NECESSARY to enter this contest. 

Simply stop by Ed’s USA in person to receive your 10 raffle tickets, and bid on whatever prizes interest you most. These tickets will be available from June 28th until August 9th. Prize drawings will be held at 2pm on August 9th, along with free food and drinks to celebrate this event. 

Giveaways include a gift cards for Vito’s Coal Fired Pizza & Restaurant, The Greystone Restaurant, Carmelo’s Roman Delight and Cabela’s; as well as tickets for a The Reading Phillies, Lake Tobias Park and Safari, H2O Waterpark, and Great Wolf Lodge to just name a few.

Be sure to stop by for your chance to win!

History of the Silk Mill, Pottsville

In May of 1887, after searching throughout the region for a town with low labor cost and impressive waterpower, the leaders of Phoenix Silk Manufacturing Company, including their president Albert Tilt, settled on Pottsville as the location for their new mill. The Tilt Silk Mill, on 12th Street and Laurel Boulevard, took one year to construct, and it began operating on July 17, 1888. A journalist at New York Times had high hopes for the mill. A day after its opening, the journalist referred to the facility as “the most extensive and completely equipped establishment of the kind in the country, cost $250,000 and will employ 1,000 operatives.”

At its peak, the mill employed 1,500 people. Demand for Tilt’s silk products waned until the mill was forced to shut down in the 1920s. At this point in time and into the 1930s, as garment production shifted from New York to Pennsylvania, the region was making a transition from textile to apparel manufacture. The facility that was once Tilt Silk Mill changed hands many times since the 1920s. From 1935 to the 1950s, clothing manufacturer Onyx Blouse Company operated in the same location.

History of Ed's USA Auto Rentals

Known locally as “the walking man’s friend”, Ed Keese began his operation in 1982 at 1208 Laurel Boulevard. Here he developed a rental company that utilized the longevity of well maintained late model used cars. In 1985, a key opportunity presented itself to Ed. The historic garment factory, formerly known as the Tilt Silk Mill, has been sitting vacant on 12th street in Pottsville. Realizing the potential business opportunities within the 100 year old structure, Ed purchased the factory & began renovations to preserve the historic building. With the newly acquired building, Ed began to diversify his business to include a full service automobile repair shop, a self storage facility, the area’s original buy here- pay here dealership, and a vehicle warranty company.

Ed’s USA is a family-owned-and-operated business. Ed’s daughter, Tracey Fenstermacher began working full time for the business in 1997 after graduating from Kutztown University. Tracey became partners with her father in 2002. Ed passed away in 2009 after battling esophageal cancer. Tracey took over as owner & operator; and in 2010 her husband Chris Fenstermacher joined the business as co-owner. Today the business still operates with the same principles and philosophy developed by Ed ensuring their longevity and success for generations to come.