Ol’ Glory Flies High on American Fence & Flag Property
American Fence & Flag is known for flying Old Glory on their building in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. It covers the three-story building of this family owned and operated fence company. “Over the years, many individuals and groups have had their photos taken with the flag,” explains Harold Mante, president and founder of American Fence & Flag. “We’ve had folks with cars and motorcycles, a fire company, and a group of World War II veterans as well as other active-duty military and veterans.” American Fence has always had a patriotic flair, but it is now known for not only its name but the huge flag on its property. The way the flag display came about is an interesting story. Prior to high school graduation, Mante lined up a job at an exciting new theme park in Florida: Walt Disney World. Sadly, he arrived to start work in the midst of the oil embargo in October of 1973 when Disney was laying off employees because attendance was down, so there was no longer a job for Mante. He returned to the Wyoming Valley in Pennsylvania at a time when Sears was hiring for the holiday season; he was able to secure a position in the toy department, which was about as close to Disney World as he could get. 16
SEPTEMBER 2021 | FENCE NEWS USA
As time went by, and winter headed toward spring, the toy department morphed into the garden department, which included fence installation. That was Mante’s introduction to the fence business. Not long after that, he and his good friend, Mark, both started fencing together near Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. Later, they moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania to work for Anchor Fence. In 1983, Mark got married and moved back to the Wyoming Valley while Mante, eager to spread his wings, started American Fence, Inc. in 1983. Forty years later, they are still best friends and both in the fence business, though on different paths. In those early years, fence meant mostly chain link, then wood gained popularity and over time, aluminum and vinyl fence became standards. Through the years, a variety of other products were offered as the opportunity arose, from playsets to sheds to gazebos and pergolas, but fence has always been the mainstay of the company. About fifteen years ago, the company expanded into vinyl and aluminum railing, then
came the flags and flagpoles that now round out the product line.
“In September of 2012, I wanted to honor our active military, veterans and those whose lives were lost or directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001 by raising a huge US flag on the side of the office building,” explains Mante. “I intended to have it displayed from September 11 to November 11, Veteran’s Day, that year, but it was so popular with the community, that I decided to keep it flying.”
