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(FOX40.COM) — The CEO of Camping World doubled down on his decision not to stop flying the American flag at his recreational vehicle locations across the U.S. despite city and county regulations.
• Video Above: Business, San Joaquin County at odds over ability to fly American flag
Camping World is known as the largest retailer and dealer of RVs in the U.S. It was founded in 1966 and has nearly 250 lots throughout the nation.
For more than a year, the company’s CEO, Marcus Lemonis, has been at odds with local governments because of ordinances that prohibited him from flying a more than 120-foot American flag at his businesses. In April 2024, the Camping World location in San Joaquin County was forced to remove the flag for alleged safety reasons and a lack of permits.
At the time, Lemonis told FOX40 that if it were a marketing flag on the pole, he might take it down while the business works out the permitting issues with the county, but the American flag stays, no matter what the county says.
Nearly one year later, March 2025, another Camping World location in North Carolina abruptly closed its doors for good amid a similar battle with the county about policies that prevented Lemonis from flying the flag. The government went as far as to file a lawsuit against the CEO, which is still ongoing. North Carolina’s legal action came amid another lawsuit filed in Sevierville, Tennessee, over the same issue.
Despite lawsuits and fines for violating local laws, Lemonis stands firm on his decision.
“The flag? It’s never coming down,” Lemonis said in a viral video posted by FOX News on social media. “Over the last several years, I’ve had a number of run-ins with local city officials and governments over my raising of the flag.”
He added, “I’ll never take it down. And the reason for that is it’s my love letter as an immigrant to this country who, quite frankly, was given a gift.”
Lemonis said flying the American flag is his way of saying thank you to the country for allowing him to make a living.
To add to the controversy, Lemonis, who is also the executive chairman for Bed Bath & Beyond, says the closed-down store may make a comeback – just not in California because of excessive regulations in the state.
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Veronica Catlin
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