Jan
30
Flag & Banner CEO Kerry McCoy Sees Expansion Coming (Executive Q&A)
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By Kerry McCoy
1/23/2012 Issue of the Arkansas Business
President of Arkansas Flag & Banner Inc. in Little Rock
Bio: Kerry McCoy
Background: McCoy, 57, grew up in North Little Rock. She graduated in 1974 with a certificate in fashion merchandising from Miss Wade’s Fashion Merchandising College of Dallas. Arkansas Flag & Banner has had $3 million in annual sales for the past five years and employs about 30 people.
Kerry McCoy launched Arkansas Flag & Banner in 1975 at the age of 20 and has headed it since.
Q: What has been most satisfying to you about founding and growing a successful business?
A: It is satisfying to think about all the people I have gotten to know because of AFB, not just business partners and customers, but employees too. I am proud of all the AFB employee alumni I have hired and helped and who have helped me.
Q: How has your role at Arkansas Flag & Banner evolved since the start of the company?
A: I was only 20 years old when I started the business with just $400, so you could say the business and I have grown up together. I began AFB by selling flags door to door. In the late ‘70s when gas prices made driving prohibitive, I changed the focus of AFB to phone sales. Always ready for change, I embraced the catalog business, mail order business and now the Internet marketing business model. I have built AFB one department at a time. The first department was sales; then I added a sewing department, the graphic department, production department, screen printing department, retail store, shipping, purchasing, accounting, and currently, we are building a social network and marketing department.
Q: Do you have plans to have someone succeed you as president?
A: AFB is like my first-born child. It is hard to think about selling one of my kids! Speaking of kids, I do have four ranging in age from 17 to 32. They all are good, smart, responsible citizens, and any one of them could handle the succession (with a little guidance from Mom, of course), but currently there are no plans. My husband, who works with me, has made just one rule regarding legacy, and that is: None of our children can come to work at AFB until they have reached 30 years of age.
Q: Do other business leaders ask you for advice on how to transition out of a company’s leadership?
A: No. People usually ask me about how to start a business. I find that most people, when they visualize themselves in business, see themselves about five years in. But you really do have to walk before you run. I worked a part-time job for nine years while I built AFB. Startups always have a cash-flow problem. You can’t grow without more money, and you can’t get more money without growing.
Q: What is your vision for Arkansas Flag & Banner’s next several decades?
A: The new website that we launch this month really expands our possibilities. Amazon doesn’t just sell books, and like them, I want to expand our product lines. Currently, we stock the products we sell, but maybe it is time to feature other vendors that will do their own order fulfillment. Another one of my interests is online affiliate marketing, where approved retailers put our products on their sites.
Aug
18
Dreamland Ballroom Mentioned in the Arkansas Democrat – Gazette
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The AR Democrat Gazette mentioned us in the paper this morning. It can be found on the front page of the Arkansas section –
PAPER TRAILS:
By Linda Caillouet
LIVIN’ THE DREAM:
Seems like a lifetime ago when, back in 1992, I wrote a feature on Kerry McCoy buying the historic Taborian Hall to house her business, Arkansas Flag and Banner.
She’s since dreamed of completely restoring it, especially the third-floor Dreamland Ballroom.
Renovation on the ballroom is set to begin Sept. 13. First on the list?
Leveling and securing the ballroom’s floor.
THANKS FOR SPREADING THE WORD!
Jul
21
Have you Noticed all the Flags at Half-Staff? New State Law Requires Flags to be lowered more often.
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Little Rock, AR – July 16, 2010 – As your driving around our wonderful state this summer you might have noticed how often the flags, both the US and Arkansas are at Half-Staff. A new law on the books requires that the Arkansas flag be lowered upon the death of a soldier killed in action.
Arkansas Code Annotated, Section 1-4-128, states “The State of Arkansas shall honor and pay tribute to a member of the armed services who is killed in action by lowering all state flags located on public buildings to half-mast from the time notice of the death of a member of the armed services is received and for a period of three (3) days thereafter.”
So with this new law and the existing Federal flag code, requiring the US flag be flown at half staff on the day of interment for a soldier killed in action, we are seeing both flags down much more often.
Kerry McCoy, President of Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com says, “Calls about the flag being at half staff is one of the questions we get the most. I really think it is wonderful that we now have a law that honors our fallen heroes, but it is hard for people to stay informed.”
Because of this law, Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com now offers flag alerts for Arkansas to go along with their national flag alerts.
“We have offered notifications for when to fly the US flag at half staff for years and it just made sense for us to now offer the state flag notifications for Arkansans that want to honor our fallen heroes”, says Kerry McCoy.
You can sign up for either of Arkansas Flag and Banners Half Staff Flag Alerts at http://www.flagandbanner.com/mlsubscription.asp or email brian@flagandbanner.com and ask to be added to their list.
For information: http://www.flagandbanner.com or
Contact: brian@flagandbanner.com
Phone: 1-800-445-0653
# # #
May
13
PAPER TRAILS: Retro fun rolling into Little Rock
Filed Under AFB in Print, Current Events, Dreamland Ballroom | Leave a Comment
BY LINDA CAILLOUET – Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
LITTLE ROCK — DATE WITH A DRIVE-IN: Back in the late ’80s, this columnist, then a young reporter, embarked on a quest to find a mystic relic from the past her generation had missed – the then-nearly extinct drive-in theater. Success was found at the Galaxy Drive-In in Hammond, La. Pity the younger generations who’ve never experienced one!
But the folks at Arkansas Flag and Banner and nonprofit preservation group Friends of Dreamland Ballroom, in their thinking-outsidethe-box quest to restore the historic ballroom atop the business’ downtown building, Taborian Hall, are reviving this American icon.
Beginning last Saturday and running through July 24, at 8:30 p.m. every other Saturday night, the parking lot behind the building at 800 W. Ninth St. will be transformed into an oldtime drive-in. Gates open at 7:30 p.m. and concessions of beer, soft drinks, hot dogs and more will be sold.
$20 a car or $5 a person for walk-ups. May 22, Reefer Madness/Sex Madness; June 12, Night of the Living Dead; June 26, The Outlaw; July 10, The Little Princess (Family Night); and July 24, The Fast and the Furious.
Paper Trails appears Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Contact Linda Caillouet at (501) 399-3636 or at lcaillouet@arkansasonline.com.
This article was published May 12, 2010 at 4:28 a.m.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 05/12/2010
Mar
1
LR fundraiser among steps to revive historic ballroom
Filed Under AFB in Print, Current Events, Dreamland Ballroom | Leave a Comment
By L. Lamor Williams, Arkansas Democrat Gazette
LITTLE ROCK — A fundraiser for the Dreamland Ballroom didn’t go so well Saturday, but that didn’t dampen the spirit of a group working to raise $50,000 to restore the historic venue that’s hosted such icons as Duke Ellington, Etta James, Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald.
“I forgot about the Razorbacks game,” Kerry McCoy said, laughing and slapping her forehead with her palm. “We’re going to swap out our PowerPoint presentation on Dreamland for the game.”
McCoy owns Arkansas Flag and Banner, which takes up the first two floors of 800 W. Ninth St. in Little Rock. She bought the historic building in 1992 and has been trying to restore the Dreamland Ballroom on the building’s third and top floor.
The ballroom was a social hub in segregated Little Rock when Ninth Street was home to a thriving black business district. Then, McCoy’s building was known as Taborian Hall.
McCoy said she’d hoped to have the ballroom reopened by 2000 but realized that she’d never be able to afford it on her own. Now, the nonprofit Friends of Dreamland board is working to raise money and restore the facility.
She said the $50,000 is to install sturdy hardwood flooring so that fund raising events can be held in the space. Saturday’s event was to feature paid tours of the historic venue, but only a handful of people stopped by between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the tours were offered.
“The reason I love the Dreamland Ballroom is because it’s the only building like it in Little Rock. I’ve had offers to turn it into apartments, a club, a school, but it really needs to stay an event center open to the public. There’s been times when I thought ‘boy I wish I’d gone ahead and turned it into apartments’ because I know events centers aren’t real profitable. But I’ve got a lot of energy, and I’m willing to put all that energy into making it work.”
Ann McCoy, Kerry’s mother-in-law said, while standing in the front hallway near the store, that the building has already come a long way.
“There used to be a big hole all the way through,” she said, noting that a person could see from the third floor down to the first through the opening. “My favorite thing now is the views from the big windows. You can see the Capitol building, Philander Smith [College], it just has a beautiful view.”
Today, the floor is covered with plywood panels, some not completely secured. The walls have peeling paint and exposed brick, and some of the 1930s-style architecture is still evident along the box seats and molding above the stage in the 8,000-square-foot space.
Kerry McCoy said she mailed 1,000 invitations to the event and invited another 400people via the online networking Web site Facebook. She said several people pledged donations but didn’t attend.
Information on how to donate or schedule a tour, and receive a history of the facility, is available at dreamlandballroom.com. Among the opportunities is purchasing a brick for $100 that will be engraved with the donor’s name and used to pave the walkway to the ballroom.
“We just need 500 people” to buy bricks, Kerry McCoy said. “But, hey, we’ll take what we can get. There’s not a single person that doesn’t come up here and see the Dreamland and fall in love with it. And I hope we can get some really community-minded people behind it. I love to tour it. I never get tired of showing the Dreamland Ballroom to people.”
This article was published February 28, 2010 at 6:04 a.m.
Arkansas, Pages 1 & 5 on 02/28/2010
Here is a link to the video that accompanied the story on Arkansasonline.com – VIDEO HERE
Feb
9
Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com has a presence at the Vancouver Olympics
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Little Rock, AR – February 9, 2010 – The Winter Olympics is bringing money to Arkansas. Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com in Little Rock provided 65 flag poles for use around several of the event’s locations.
Kerry McCoy, owner of Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com says, “My husband, Grady, worked with the Vancouver Olympic committee to buy the flagpoles. Look for them at the alpine course, the freestyle skiing course, and throughout the snowboarding events.”
The flagpoles Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com provided were custom made for the Olympics. The mounting brackets and other hardware were also custom made.
Kerry McCoy says, “It’s always fun to see your products on TV and it’s nice that we could make their short delivery time and custom specifications. There aren’t a lot of companies with our expertise.”
Arkansas Flag and Banner was established in 1975. Its headquarters are in Little Rock, AR with 25 employees.
For more information about the many products Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com provides, log on to FlagandBanner.com, become a fan of FlagandBanner.com on Facebook, or call one of their experts at 1-800-445-0653.
For information: http://www.flagandbanner.com or
Contact: kerry@flagandbanner.com
Phone: 1-800-445-0653
# # #
Dec
7
FlagandBanner.com on Facebook!
Filed Under AFB Press Releases, AFB in Print, Current Events | Leave a Comment
Take a look at our new Facebook page! We will be using it to communicate last minute specials as well as keeping you abreast of all the flag stuff you need to know about. Click on the image below…
Oct
26
October 09, 2009
Navy News
[See the Red, White, and Blue bunting in the photo? A FlagandBanner.com product in action!]
The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, Wayne E. Meyer, at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia.
Designated DDG 108, the new destroyer honors the late Navy rear admiral who led the development of Aegis, the first fully integrated combat system built to defend against air, surface and subsurface threats. Meyer was regarded as the father of the Navy’s Aegis Weapons System.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will deliver the ceremony’s principal address. Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations and the first officer to have commanded both an Aegis cruiser and destroyer, will also deliver remarks. Anna Mae Meyer will serve as sponsor of the ship named for her late husband. The ceremony will be highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when she gives the first order to “man our ship and bring her to life!”
Wayne E. Meyer is the 58th of the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and carries the 100th Aegis Combat System built. The ship will be able to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Wayne E. Meyer will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously and contains a myriad of offensive and defensive weapons designed to support maritime warfare in keeping with “A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower,” the maritime strategy that postures the sea services to apply maritime power to protect U.S. vital interests in an increasingly interconnected and uncertain world.
Cmdr. Nick A. Sarap Jr., born in Richmond, Va., and raised in Zanesville, Ohio, will become the first commanding officer of the ship and lead the crew of 276 officers and enlisted personnel. The 9,200-ton Wayne E. Meyer was built by Bath Iron Works, a General Dynamics company. The ship is 509 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.
© Copyright 2009 Navy News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Aug
20
An American Idol
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This year Chris Allen is Arkansas’ favorite son. And I am happy to say Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com got to have a small part in all the hoopla. We did the banners for his concert in downtown Little Rock and more recently we provided the big US flag that was showcased in his family photo shoot for the magazine – Inviting Arkansas.
It is exciting to see all the places our products show up, movie sets, magazines, news conferences, just to name a few. This week look for our products in AY magazine!
Jun
15
Patriotic Flag Season Is Here… Out Comes the Red, White, and Blue
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LITTLE ROCK, AR–(Marketwire – June 11, 2009) – With Memorial Day behind us and two other patriotic “flag” holidays on the horizon, the flag season has officially started. Already red, white and blue decorations can be seen up and down the main streets of America.
American Flag Day (June 14th) will be the next patriotic holiday… followed by July 4th, our nation’s Independence Day.
Kerry McCoy, owner of Arkansas’ FlagandBanner.com, says, “This time of year brings out the flag etiquette questions. ‘How do I display my flag?’”
Do you know the proper way to display an American flag off your porch? The US flag always goes to the right. This concept can be tricky. When looking at your home or business from the street, the flag will look to be on the left because it is the flag’s right. So pretend you are the flag on your porch looking out at the street, now put the flag on your right. That is its proper place.
Kerry says, “Many times I go to a school, church or a patriotic event and gaze upon the stage only to find the event planner has placed the American flag on the audience’s right, when it should be on the audience’s left. If the flags are your responsibility, take a moment to educate yourself on their proper display”
For more flag etiquette and tips log on to FlagandBanner.com. Or, sign up for Flag Alerts from FlagandBanner.com, timely emails that keep you up to date with current flag events, such as when to fly the flag at half-staff and other flag tips.
For information: http://www.flagandbanner.com or
Contact: kerry@flagandbanner.com
Phone: 1-800-445-0653