MAHANOY CITY - Service Electric Cablevision Inc. will close its business office in Mahanoy City today, with customers having until 5 p.m. to pay their bills locally.
The closing of the office in the town where cable television was founded is a matter of economics and efficiency, according to Service Electric Division Manager Timothy M. Trently.
"As you know, two years ago we purchased the Service Electric company (in Mahanoy City) and converted it over to Service Electric Cablevision," Trently said in a phone interview on Wednesday. "We're still part of the Service Electric family, part of the John Walsonavage family."
Trently said the building has more space than is needed to run the operation.
"This was certainly not an easy decision. The reason we are closing the Mahanoy City office is that there are only seven employees working out of that building, that building is very large and we're only using 30 percent of it to run the operation and 70 percent is going to waste. We're paying high electric, heating and air conditioning bills in a building that's not being utilized the way it should be. It's just not cost-effective."
Cable television began in Mahanoy City in 1948 when John and Margaret Walson Walsonavage erected an antenna on a nearby mountain to receive television signals from Philadelphia and bring those signals to their store that sold television sets. The mountains blocked those TV signals. Eventually, homes along the cable were also connected, creating the first cable television system. Walsonavage was recognized by the U.S. Congress and the National Cable Television Association as the founder of the cable television industry, according to the Service Electric website.
"We built our state-of-the-art building near Hazleton 12 years ago. Everything is under one roof," Trently said.
"Our warehouse is here. Our call center is here. All of our electronic gear is here and our satellite dish farm is here. Everything is at this one location, so it made sense to move those seven employees up here than relocate 60 employees down there and spend multi-million dollars there renovating that building for what we already have at Hazleton."
When asked about reaction from Mahanoy City residents about the closing, Trently said, "We've had some reaction. Yes, there has been disappointment expressed that we're closing the doors there, but also well-wishes for the employees and thanking us for all the time we served there. No employees are losing their jobs. We welcome them all to Hazleton."
In order to accommodate customers who came to the office to pay their bills, payment drop boxes have been installed at the Mahanoy City Food Store, 28 S. Main St., and at Klingaman's Office Supply, 124 E. Broad St., Tamaqua. Arrangements have been made to place payment boxes in the near future at McDonald's Lunch, 221 N. Second St., Girardville, and PRO Hardware, 220 S. Lehigh Ave., Frackville. Trently said a payment box site in Saint Clair is being sought.
Trently said payments by check can also be mailed to 380 Maplewood Drive, Humboldt Industrial Park, Hazle Township, PA 18202, or anyone paying by credit card can call the office at 800-242-3707. Payments can also be automatically be made each month from a checking account or credit card, or individually at the company website at www.secv.com. Call the toll-free number for more information on any payment option.
Trently said the company continues to upgrade the system that was part of the Mahanoy City-based Service Electric company.
"We've just recently completed our addition of the 115 high-definition channels there with the same basic channel line-up as we have with our Hazleton system," Trently said. "There are many more channels added to the digital tier and we'll be doing the fiber optics upgrades as soon as our hub gets built in Delano. We'll be increasing the fiber quantities so we'll be able to offer faster Internet speeds, better quality telephone service and, of course, television programming as it becomes available to us."
As for the building, Trently said options are being considered, including the possibilities of selling or leasing.
"We're certainly look at all avenues to see what the best use of the building could be," Trently said.
During Tuesday's Mahanoy City Borough Council meeting, President Patti Schnitzius read a letter from Trently informing the council of the closing. The letter was sent to all municipalities that are served through the Mahanoy City office.
The letter states the business office in Mahanoy City will be closed and operations will be transferred to offices in Hazle Township in the Humboldt Industrial Park.
"I spoke with Mr. Trently and said that I find it very sad that they will no longer be in the community," Schnitzius said. "It all started here. Mr. Trently assures me that Service Electric will continue to be a vital part of the community and help out financially, such as the Memorial Day program, the sesquicentennial and things of that nature."
Trently said that Service Electric will be active in communities as it as been.
"We will not and have not stopped being a presence in the community," Trently said. "We are there to be involved in all of our communities. We do major things and will continue to support Mahanoy City in any way we can. It's not like we're just picking up everything and forgetting about Mahanoy City. That's not how we do things at Service Electric."
Mayor Nancy Petritsch expressed sadness in the loss of another borough business.
"I understand they (Service Electric) are looking at business growth and their potential for growth, however, I do feel saddened that after all these years they find it necessary to leave Mahanoy City. I wish them success in their move."