Blog

At Carrot-Top Industries, we have had the pleasure of providing American-made U.S. flags and patriotic, special event, and custom-made products to schools across the country since 1980. Whether we provide customer service to an elementary school, high school, or college, we know students would not be able to succeed without the hard work and tireless dedication of their teachers. One of our top priorities is to support teachers and students across America through our ongoing educational support projects.

Taking history class can be boring as you learn date after date and event after event for which you have no personal connection. But for six lucky Chapel Hill-Carrboro students, they have become friends with two WWII veterans and history doesn’t seem so distant anymore.

Carrot-Top Industries’ continued success has allowed it to give back to the MS community through their annual donations to fund MS research. Carrot-Top’s latest donation of $70,000 to the National MS Society will help improve the lives of those living with MS. Dwight and Lynne Morris launched Carrot-Top out of their Oak Park, IL, home in 1980, six years after Lynne was diagnosed with MS. The Morris family worked hard to provide flags and patriotic products to communities across America, and in 1987, Carrot-Top and the Morris family relocated to Hillsborough, NC.

Dear Carrot-Top Customers,

High above Sheboygan, WI is the tallest flagpole in the United States. The flagpole was erected in 2014 by Acuity Insurance, after their old flagpole toppled over as a result of years of stress and high winds. Acuity’s flagpole is 400 feet tall; not surprisingly, building such a huge flagpole is a major engineering challenge. Structural stability and maintainability have to be calculated carefully before the project even begins.

At Carrot-Top, we put customer service first, which means we are constantly talking to customers and listening to their feedback on our products. We deal with so many interesting and inspiring people from across the United States, and we often hear stories that touch our hearts and make us stand a little taller as proud providers of U.S. flags. Once in a while, we will get a special testimonial that stands out from the rest. We recently received one in the form of a handwritten note (We don't get many of those anymore!) that made us pause and ponder the importance of the U.S. flags we sell, and the profound meaning they hold for our customers.

Frequent inspection and proper care of your flag and flag pole parts can make a huge difference in the life of your display. It is important to check your flag, flagpole, and its components year-round—especially as the seasons change. Be sure to examine your flagpole’s halyard rope for wear each time the flag is raised or lowered. If the flag isn’t lowered daily, check the halyard at each season change. If the weather is turning inclement, such as high winds, sleet or ice accumulation, be sure to lower your flag to protect it from extreme elements. Use the following tips to help you winterize and prolong the life of your flag and flagpole.

Hurricane Florence is not over yet, and it has already brought much devastation to coastal North Carolina. As the weekend approaches, our thoughts are with our already-affected neighbors to the East as we prepare for several days of heavy rainfall in central North Carolina.

September 11, 2001, will always be a date which will live in infamy. And each September since that day, we lower the American flag to half-staff to honor the heroes who risked and lost their lives as well as to reflect on the many lessons we’ve learned from the tragedy. Patriot Day is also a time for us to remember the true spirit of America in defiance and global unity against terrorism around the world.

Labor Day in America often marks the beginning of a new school year and the end of summer. We celebrate with barbecues, parades and athletic events across the country. But how did the Labor Day holiday originate? It wasn't as easy as your day off.

2018 was the inaugural year of Carrot-Top’s Beacon® Scholarship for Rural America. Our leadership team launched the Beacon® Scholarship this year as a way to recognize and support hard-working rural students across America. This fall, we announced the first two winners of the scholarship, and now we are delighted to announce the winner of our spring 2019 award.

Smyrna isn’t a well-known Tennessee town. It doesn’t have the storied music history of Nashville and Memphis, or the railway and transportation fame of Chattanooga. But what it does have, is a lot of heart. It also has a lot of determination and a whole lot of community pride. Those characteristics were put to the test on June 2, 2016, when the town witnessed a shocking tragedy in their own backyard. That day, the Blue Angels were rehearsing for the upcoming Great Tennessee Air Show, which was to take place in Smyrna. The atmosphere was joyous—filled with excitement and anticipation to see the Blue Angels in flight. People watched from rooftops and parking lots as the Angels performed in the clouds above.

Friday, July 27, 2018, is National Korean War Veterans Armistice Day—a day to recognize the heroes who served, and the more than 36,000 American soldiers killed in action during the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

With the Fourth of July right around the corner, displays of public patriotism will be in full effect! Whether you're flying your flag at home or at your place of business, it's important to be sure that the stars and stripes are getting the respect that they deserve. We've put together a quick reference guide of dos and don'ts for high-flying your flag properly, no matter the time of year. Download the informational guide below and save it for reference year-round! Or, share it on your social media to spread the message!

On May 15, 2018, the Orange County Board of Commissioners voted on a new set of rules affecting flag ordinances in unincorporated areas of Orange County. The new rules do not apply to property located inside town limits of Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Carrboro, or Mebane.

L to R – Stephen Jamison, ‘Red’ Whittington and Paul Madden, some of the original ‘Iron Men of Metz’ and now Knights of the French ‘National Order of the Legion of Honor’, meet up again at their 68th annual reunion held in Kansas City, MO, in September 2017.