Pass a car dealership (particularly American made: Ford, Chevy, GM, etc.) and you'll probably notice a very tall flagpole. Typically these flagpoles reach 90 to 120 feet in the sky. That is some visibility!
You don't see one of these everyday. Cone Tapered Steel is difficult to construct and was replaced by spun aluminum several decades ago. Technology has caught up to us and cone tapered steel is starting to be requested for large flagpoles (100 ft. +). In the past, steel flagpoles were built in sections which were straight pipe, scaled down these sections got progressively higher. But this flagpole is seamless steel tapered.
This flagpole unfortunately has suffered. The craftsmanship is excellent. The base is well set with lighting. But the wrong halyard was used. It snapped, the flag came down, and the auto company was left with a difficult to fix broken flagpole. If you do have to go up there, make it count. Start here.
Car dealerships fly large flags for visibility certainly, but is that the whole story? They could certainly fly a smaller flag and give off an impression. But what does bigger do?
Each county across Indiana has a court house. These court houses act as both the center for public affairs, as well as the center of the greater county community. Small businesses, groups and organizations locate themselves around the county courthouse to create a economy and culture that is distinct to its people. As the global environment changes, distinctive qualities seem more and more difficult to come by these days. But people can always rely on their core values (which make up the core values of the courthouse).
One can not say for sure, but it seems large flagpole in the car dealership lot, create a micro-county. We run through towns and talk to people. Most everyone will point us to the dealership flagpole local to their community. They are proud of it being the tallest in area (however big that area is). Companies and even competitors crop up around the flag to tell their customers where they are. Joan's Restaurant across from the big flag on route 41. Maybe the big flag is a statement: American Made, American Values, In the heart of America. You may always find examples of indecency, you will never be able to overlook the overwhelming positivity of the creation of a collective people or nation built around freedom.
