Local flag business continues to grow

It’s fitting that Lisa and Dan Pitcher bought the Eagle Mountain Flag and Flagpole company on June 14, 2018 — that’s Flag Day.

You have probably driven by Eagle Mountain Flags hundreds of time. It’s on 2325 across the road from HEB. It’s the building with a red, white and blue boot out front. It’s the building with numerous flags flying proudly. Inside, are hundreds of flags, patches, poles and banners — everything you need to display your patriotism. Eagle Mountain ships flags all over the country. In fact, all over the world.

The company started small in 1995 and has grown steadily over the years. It has been in numerous locations around Wimberley before settling into its current home at 333 FM2325. Lisa, who was a nurse for 27 years, and Dan, who operates a commercial lighting company, purchased Eagle Mountain from founders Mike and Vickie Young. “We just decided to do something different,” explains Lisa.

On a typical day, a few customers visit the showroom. The bulk of the business Eagle Mountain does is through Internet sales. “On the Fourth of July things do pick up a little bit,” says Lisa.

Eagle Mountain is worth a visit. The store is stocked with hundreds of flags and all types of flag-related gear: poles, patches, banners, frames, bunting, and lighting.

Tiny flags, huge flags

They sell tiny flags mounted on cocktail toothpicks and giant flags that may fly at car lots and gas stations along the highway. The biggest flag Eagle Mountain has sold is 50 feet by 80 feet. “It was so big it couldn’t be delivered by UPS,” says long-time employee Tina Overley. “It had to be delivered on a truck.”

Eagle Mountain sells to government agencies, schools, the military and various businesses. Tina is in charge of securing government contracts and has sold hundreds of flags to the Army, the Navy, the FBI and the National Park Service.

Locally, you can see Eagle Mountain flags in front of the Wimberley Chamber of Commerce, mounted along local bridges during patriotic holidays and at area churches.

There are all kinds of special orders. A man who owns a beach house in New Jersey orders a new smiley face flag every year. “He wants it hand sewn,” says Tina. “Every year he changes something. Sometimes he changes the smile a little. One time he added sunglasses to the smiley face. I’m expecting a call from him any time now.”

Eagle Mountain has made a flag that covers a football field. It was divided into sections with handles.

The company swings into action when a special order comes it. “We have hired a messenger to deliver a flag to a funeral. We go to great lengths to get a flag to a funeral,” says Lisa.

They sent an urgent, overnight shipment of flags to the set of the 2016 movie “The Birth of a Nation.” Eagle Mountain created the presidential flag that’s displayed at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, Calif. After Hurricane Harvey hit, the Houston Texans NFL team ordered thousands of small flags for fans to wave at NRG Stadium. Those were special delivered and the driver had to fight his way through the mayhem left by Harvey to get them there in time.

Most popular flag

The biggest seller is the American flag, but a close second is the Texas state flag. Customers can get any kind of artwork they want on a flag thanks to modern technology. The company sells more than thousand flags annually.

What’s the life of a flag outdoors? A lot of factors come into play such as the quality of the flag, the weather and whether a flag is taken in at night. Lisa says after four to eight months many flags have to be replaced. That’s why they started their Flag Stewardship program. New flags are shipped out at regular intervals with a return envelope included. The old, tattered flag is shipped back to Wimberley where local veterans and Boy Scouts give it a proper send off.

The company produces its Hercules model, a tough, durable flag that they advertise as one of the longest-lasting flags on the market.

Eagle Mountain sells poles but does not install them. They also sell lights to illuminate your flag including the dark sky approved fixture that is mounted on top of the pole and casts its light downward.

The folks at Eagle Mountain designed the Wimberley Strong flag that popped up around town after the 2015 flood. The proceeds from the sale of that flag are donated to My Neighbor’s Keeper, a local program that provides disaster relief.

Eagle Mountain has a sizable stock of flags and accessories on hand, but special orders are filled by vendors located all over the country.

You can probably find a flag a little cheaper on-line or at a big discount store, but Eagle Mountain prides itself on a few things: its flags are made in the United States, they are top quality and you get quick, personalized service. The flag poles are from a supplier here in Texas.

“Who wants an American flag that’s made in China?” asks Lisa, with a slightly disgusted look crossing her face.