Our father served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean Conflict. Upon his discharge from the Marines he returned home to work in the family painting contracting business. This business proved to be very successful but after working at it for over 40 years he decided he wanted to do something different in his retirement. He started making small hand tools that painting, roofing and drywall contractors would use. He marketed these products on his own calling on dealers and manufacture’s representatives. Then he came across a dealer named Gordy Nelson, who owned a flag and antique store. Gordy was asked to supply flags to Abbotts Lab which was one of the promotional venues to help the city of Chicago win a bid to host 2000 Summer Olympics. But Gordy did not have a flag stand to offer so he asked our father if he could make one. And from there the Universal Standard Products Patriot Flag Fork was born.
Our father is a very patriotic man. He flew the American flag in front of our house every Memorial Day and Fourth of July. The first flag pole he ever made in 1959 was an oversized closet pole with a tennis ball glued on top and he painted it all silver. Then he attached the flag pole to the fence post with two C-Clamps. Additionally, on these same holidays, he put an American flag in front of each house on his block. This is a tradition that his sons carry on to this day. We hope to maintain these traditions and create some news ones as we carry Universal Standard Products forward with the same patriotic spirit.
