POTTSTOWN — Certain anniversaries are milestone anniversaries for businesses and worthy of celebration: 50, 75, 100 years.
When a business reaches 300 years in business, that is something else entirely.
Such is the case with Pottstown Roller Mills at 625 Industrial Highway. Currently, members of the fourth and sixth generations of the Saylor family are taking care of business.
Throughout its history, Pottstown Roller Mills has provided grain and flour — adding feed, garden supplies, stone, and mulch to its products.
The Saylor family hosted a community event on Friday, Oct. 17, to celebrate the milestone — and thank the customers and employees who have helped keep the business running for three centuries.
It also marked a goodbye of sorts — the business is currently listed for sale.
The Industrial Highway location is down the road a bit from where the original Pottstown Roller Mills operated. The original mill building still stands at South Hanover Street and College Drive — and is now an apartment building. The company moved to its current location following Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
To put the 300-year milestone in perspective, Pottstown Roller Mills, which was founded in 1725, sat near the banks of the Schuylkill River, serving farmers and settlers in the area for nearly 30 years before Pottstown was officially founded in 1752, and 51 years before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
In fact, the business supplied grain and flour to the Continental Army commanded by General George Washington while encamped at Valley Forge during the winter of 1777-78.
Pottstown Roller Mills is one of the oldest continuously operated businesses in the U.S.
Brooke Saylor, granddaughter of current owner Doug Saylor, led the effort to organize the anniversary celebration.
“I wanted to put something together to celebrate 300 years in business, and to give people that wanted to talk about the business a chance to talk,” Saylor said. “I wanted to do something for my grandfather Doug.”
Doug Saylor is the fourth-generation owner/operator of the business.
The celebration was also an opportunity to pay tribute to Henry “Hank” Saylor, a third generation member of the family who worked at and then ran the business for 68 years. He was also Doug Saylor’s father. Henry Saylor passed away in May at the age of 95.
The event featured a ribbon-tying ceremony, refreshments, and commemorative merchandise, and included family members, local and state officials, current and former employees, and members of the community.
Turning 69 this month, Doug Saylor said he probably started working at the mill when he was about 12.
“I did a lot of cleaning out the bins,” he said with a laugh.
Saylor said he enjoyed working with his dad and all the customers he has met through the years.
He said there is no other business like Pottstown Roller Mills in terms of the variety of products the company provides — grain, feed, coal, fertilizer, to name a few.
Paying Tribute
In remarks, Maurice Saylor, a Magisterial District Judge and fourth-generation family member, reflected on the legacy of Pottstown Roller Mills and the dedication of the family — including his father, Charles Saylor, his uncle Henry Saylor, as well as his cousin Doug Saylor. He also thanked the businesses’ customers and employees over the years.
Pottstown Mayor Stephanie Henrick presented a proclamation on behalf of the Borough of Pottstown, recognizing Pottstown Roller Mills’ history and the dedication of the Saylor family — declaring Oct. 17, 2025, as Pottstown Roller Mills Day in Pottstown.
She said Henry Saylor was one of the first people she met when she moved to Pottstown. She said he was dedicated to his business and the community and was someone she knew as a friend.
“Hank greeted everyone with kindness, and I’m personally grateful to have known him and volunteered by his side for the last 13 years,” Henrick said.
Of Doug Saylor, Henrick said he “has led with the same heart and hard work his father embodied.”
“The Pottstown Roller Mills has been far more than a business — it stands as a living part of our town’s soul — a place where generations purchased their first garden seeds, chicks, and ducklings, and where the bonds of neighborliness, trust, and history have flourished for 300 years,” the proclamation stated.
State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick (R-24th Dist.) also presented a proclamation on behalf of the Pennsylvania State Senate.
The Sale
After several generations as a family-owned and operated business, Pottstown Roller Mills is for sale — a real estate sign advertising the building sits along Industrial Highway in front of the business.
Brooke Saylor said the property has been listed for sale for just a couple of weeks. She added that the family is hoping that whoever purchases the property will continue operating it as a similar business. Pottstown Roller Mills will remain open until it sells, she said.
