‘The flag is not coming down’: Camping World CEO shuts down store over American flag dispute

A long-running legal fight between Camping World CEO Marcus Lemonis and the city of Greenville, North Carolina, has gotten worse, leading to the shutdown of one of the company’s local stores. The argument is about two very large American flags put up at Camping World locations in the city, which break local rules about how big flags can be and how tall flagpoles are allowed to be.

The flags in question are much bigger than what Greenville’s city rules allow. Estimates say they are around 3,200 square feet in size, which is far bigger than what is permitted for businesses. The flagpoles holding these huge flags also break city rules, standing at 130 feet tall, which is much taller than the 70-foot limit set by the city. As reported by The Sun, due to these violations, Camping World has been fined a total of $15,000 so far.

Even with the fines and the city’s legal action, Lemonis has refused to take down the flags. Per Fox, he has said publicly that he plans to keep the flags up, even if it means he could go to jail. This strong refusal has made the disagreement between Lemonis and Greenville officials more intense.

CEO in battle with town over American flag

In March, the city council voted 4-2 to take legal action against Lemonis and Camping World. This decision included hiring outside lawyers to officially sue the company and its CEO. It’s a big move just because of a flag.

The growing conflict has had real effects on Camping World’s business in Greenville. On April 22, Lemonis announced that one of the company’s two Greenville stores would close, saying the decision was directly tied to the flag dispute. He said the city council’s actions and public criticism of his business hurt operations, forcing him to combine his Greenville dealerships into one location. The remaining Camping World store in Greenville still has a similarly oversized American flag on display.

This is not the only time Camping World has faced this issue. A very similar disagreement is happening in Sevierville, Tennessee, where another Camping World location has a large flag on a 130-foot pole, breaking the city’s 44-foot limit. Sevierville officials have also filed a lawsuit to force the removal of the flagpole, saying it causes safety concerns and blocks views. Lemonis has again promised not to take the flag down in Sevierville.

Lemonis’s strong determination to keep the large flags up comes from personal reasons. Born in Lebanon and adopted by a family in Florida, Lemonis grew up seeing the American flag at his adoptive family’s car dealership. He talked openly about how grateful he was for his opportunities in the United States, seeing the big flags as a personal way to show his appreciation for the country.

He calls the displays a “love letter” to the nation that gave him a life he might not have had otherwise. This personal connection explains why he feels so strongly about this issue. While Greenville and Sevierville say their legal actions are about safety and appearance, Lemonis’s refusal to back down shows how personal and patriotic his reasons are for keeping the oversized flags up.