SANDY, Utah — As you'd expect, the Fourth of July is a busy holiday for Colonial Flag in Sandy.
The company makes thousands of flags every year, and its owner, Paul Swenson, said this June has been one of their busiest months they've ever had. He said every year is different, but they're prepared to make even more flags this upcoming year.
"I think it has to do with a little surge of patriotism. I also think there's a lot of build up for America 250," Swenson said. "So people are decorating up their yards right now."
This holiday, Colonial is showcasing American flags throughout the years in Sandy, across from City Hall. Each flag in the display will showcase the type of flag America had during that year. It starts in 1776 and goes until 2025.
"To me, there's just something special about seeing what, really, a short history for a country is, rather, 250 years," Colonial Flag's Marketing manager, Michael Hodson, said. "It's 250 years of freedom, independence, a new kind of government that we hadn't seen anywhere else in the world."
All 250 flags line a field in Sandy. Each has the year, information about the specific flag, as well as information about the main events during that year. The hope is to educate and unite people through the stars and stripes.
"That flag is made up of, say 300 million stitches on a big flag," Swenson said. "There's 300 million of us Americans right now. I like to think of it as, every one of us is a little stitch in the flag."
Stitch by stitch, Colonial is weaving their Utah roots into each flag they sell. The company makes around 50,000 flags each year, and they're one of the only businesses that make all different sizes, creating flags for the NFL, Super Bowl, and more.
For Swenson, the amount they sell isn't what makes their store so special, but the stories that are etched in the fabric instead.
"I like to picture the flag isn't just the unity of the states, but unity of all of us as Americans."
