U-Haul Preserving and Repurposing the Old Hat Factory in Truro for Self-Storage

TRURO, N.S. (May 17, 2018) — U-Haul® will soon offer a new self-storage facility at 24 Court St. in Truro thanks to the recent acquisition of the historic Lewis Hat Company factory. U-Haul acquired the vacant 69,060-square-foot warehouse on March 27.

U-Haul Moving & Storage of Truro is currently operating a temporary showroom and offering truck and trailer sharing, towing equipment, moving supplies and more.

Once the property is repurposed, it will have about 560 self-storage lockers available with high-tech security features, indoor climate-control options and affordable pricing. Professional hitch installation will also be offered on the 1.41-acre lot in the near future.

“This building is full of history and character,” said Tracey Higgs, U-Haul Company of Atlantic Canada president. “We are honored to clean up this property and become part of the heart of downtown Truro. Preserving the history of this area is important to us. We know the community will love the finished product.”

Contact U-Haul Moving & Storage of Truro at (902) 893-4128 or stop by to visit general manager Michele Rees and her team. Hours of operation are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday and Saturday; 7 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Reserve equipment at uhaul.com or contact Reservations at 1-800-GO-UHAUL.

Higgs expects to hire a staff of 10 or more Team Members when the facility is fully operational. U-Haul will look to hire locally to promote job growth in Truro. U-Haul also encourages local contractors to bid on renovation work.

The existing building was constructed in sections, starting about 1938 as home to the Lewis Hat Company. The factory once employed more than 900 people and was part of a larger business empire of the Lewis family. More recently, the building was used as a bowling alley and for self-storage.

“The Lewis Hat Company was started in 1876, and the building is rich in history,” Higgs added. “This is a prime location. U-Haul is excited to breathe life back into this long-deserted building. Renovating this particular property will benefit the whole area.”

This is the first U-Haul-owned and -operated store in Truro and the third in Nova Scotia, joining the U-Haul stores in Bedford and Dartmouth. There are also three independent small businesses operating as U-Haul dealers in Truro: Hollis Ford Mercury, Central Self Storage, and U-Need-A-Taxi.

The recent acquisition of the Truro facility was driven by U-Haul Company's Corporate Sustainability initiatives: U-Haul supports infill developments to help local communities lower their carbon footprint. Our adaptive reuse of existing buildings reduces the amount of energy and resources required for new-building materials and helps cities reduce their unwanted inventory of unused buildings.

The arrival of U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 is revolutionizing the moving industry through its more convenient, more secure way to pick up and return a truck. U-Haul live verification technology allows rental transactions to be carried out entirely on a smartphone at any hour – day or night. There are no membership fees. Simply visit uhaul.com to create an online account.

For self-movers who aim to keep their costs low but need extra hands to help with their move, MovingHelp.com has been successfully pairing customers with reliable Moving Help® Service Providers for more than a decade. The online marketplace lets customers shop and compare local moving companies that provide labor services including: loading and unloading, packing and unpacking, cleaning, and U-Box pick up/delivery. Unedited customer reviews, transparent pricing and payment release subject to customer approval have led to 93 percent of Moving Help users rating their experience four stars or higher.

About U-Haul

Since 1945, U-Haul has been the No. 1 choice of do-it-yourself movers, with a network of more than 21,000 locations across all 50 states and 10 Canadian provinces. U-Haul Truck Share 24/7 now offers customers access to U-Haul trucks every hour of every day through the self-service options on their internet-connected mobile devices. U-Haul customers’ patronage has enabled the U-Haul fleet to grow to more than 150,000 trucks, 112,000 trailers and 40,000 towing devices. U-Haul offers more than 581,000 rooms and more than 51 million square feet of self-storage space at owned and managed facilities throughout North America. U-Haul is the largest installer of permanent trailer hitches in the automotive aftermarket industry and is the largest retailer of propane in the U.S.

Contact:

Andrea Batchelor

Jeff Lockridge

E-mail: publicrelations@uhaul.com

Phone: 602-263-6981

Website: uhaul.com