GREENVILLE — As communities across the nation prepare to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026, demand for American flags has grown alongside renewed interest in products manufactured entirely in the United States.
In Greenville, that growing appreciation for American-made craftsmanship has translated into success for Troy Sunshade, a company with more than a century of manufacturing history that recently entered the market with a line of 100% Made-in-the-USA American flags.
Unlike many flags marketed as being “assembled in the USA,” every Troy Sunshade flag is produced using American labor and American-sourced materials—from the nylon fabric and thread to the dyes, webbing, brass grommets, and final stitching.
The company’s commemorative 250th-anniversary flag, produced to honor the nation’s semiquincentennial, quickly found a market among customers seeking an authentically American-made product.
“We sold a good amount of them,” co-owner John Baumgardner said. “Local people came in and purchased them. It is great the local people support local business.”
The distinction between “assembled in the USA” and “100% Made in the USA” is one many consumers don’t realize.
A flag labeled “assembled in the USA” may be sewn domestically but contain imported fabric, thread, hardware or other materials. By contrast, a flag labeled “Made in the USA” or “100% Made in the USA” is expected to meet the Federal Trade Commission’s standard that products be “all or virtually all” made in the United States, meaning nearly every significant component, manufacturing process and labor source is domestic.
For manufacturers such as Troy Sunshade, that means every part of the production process remains in America.
“They are 100% made in the USA,” Baumgardner said. “They are sewn here, all the material is sourced by USA companies, even the grommets, the webbing, everything is 100% American made.”
That commitment extends beyond the finished product. Domestic sourcing supports American textile mills, metal manufacturers, suppliers, transportation companies and skilled workers throughout the manufacturing chain. While flags produced entirely in the United States often cost more than those assembled with imported materials, many consumers view the additional cost as an investment in American jobs and manufacturing.
Veterans organizations, military families, patriotic groups, and many government agencies have long preferred flags produced entirely in the United States, believing the nation’s symbol should itself reflect American workmanship from start to finish.
The positive response has encouraged Troy Sunshade to expand its product offerings.
The company currently manufactures American flags in 2-by-3-foot, 3-by-5-foot, 6-by-10-foot, and 8-by-12-foot sizes and plans to introduce a 5-by-8-foot flag after receiving repeated customer requests.
“We are going to be adding a 5-by-8 American flag,” Baumgardner said. “We have had requests for 5-by-8, but the most standard flag we sell is the 3-by-5.”
For Baumgardner, the success of the commemorative flags has demonstrated that consumers continue to value products manufactured entirely in America, particularly as the country prepares to mark a historic milestone.
“We appreciate anyone wanting a 100% made in the USA flag,” he said. “Stop by Troy Sunshade at 607 Riffle Avenue in Greenville, and eventually we will be up in the Marsh building, hopefully by the end of the year, and you will be able to stop in there and purchase them.”
As the United States celebrates 250 years of independence, Troy Sunshade hopes each flag leaving its Greenville facility represents more than a patriotic symbol. It also serves as a reminder that American manufacturing—and the workers behind it—continue to play an important role in communities across the country.
