The board of directors of Eder Flag Manufacturing Co. Inc. in Oak Creek decided on Tuesday to no longer sell or manufacture Confederate flags.
Jodi Goglio, chief operating officer of the company, issued a statement about the company’s decision after a question posed by BizTimes. The following is Goglio’s statement:
“Eugene Eder, our company’s former, long-time owner, fought in World War II against the forces of bigotry, hatred and tyranny. Mr. Eder’s primary reason to own and operate Eder Flag after serving in the U.S. Navy was to produce American flags, a symbol of freedom and opportunity. The recent events in Charleston, S.C. and motivating factors behind those events, coupled with Mr. Eder’s legacy led to our decision to no longer manufacture or sell these types of flags. Our thoughts and sympathies are with the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in Charleston. Our hope moving forward is that all communities are able to live together in unity so that everyone can experience the freedom and opportunity for which Mr. Eder and so many other veterans fought.”
Eder Manufacturing, which was launched more than 100 years ago, has grown to become America’s largest manufacturer of both flags and flagpoles.
The company’s headquarters in Oak Creek eventually grew to capacity, which led to expansion to neighboring warehouses and production facilities. A distribution center in Orlando, Fla., was added to better serve customers in the southeast.
Currently Eder serves more than 5,000 customers and sells more than 20,000 different products.
Earlier Tuesday, major retailers such as Walmart and Sears, as well as retail ordering services such as Amazon and Ebay, banned the sales of Confederate flags.
