Camping World CEO Refuses to Remove Giant Flag Despite City Opposition

GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – CEO Marcus Lemonis of Camping World announced during a local radio interview on WTIB that he will not remove the large American flag at his Greenville location, despite ongoing city controversy.

The city claims that the flag and flagpole violate local codes due to their size, but Lemonis strongly disagrees. On Friday, he announced the closure of one of his Greenville locations, on Greenville Boulevard, which he attributed to the backlash from the city council.

“We think the ordinance is wrong,” Lemonis stated on the ‘Talk of the Town’ radio show hosted by Henry Hinton. He alleged that city council members have worked actively against his business, leading to the closure of the Forest River RV dealership.

Lemonis criticized the city council’s decision to hire outside legal counsel to sue him. The council voted 4-2 in March to pursue this legal action, claiming that the flagpole exceeds city limits. He suggested that the council should research state statutes regarding flag display.

Despite potential legal consequences, including the possibility of incarceration, Lemonis reiterated his commitment to keeping the flag flying. “Not when they sue, not when I lose, not if they take me to jail, the flag is not coming down,” he declared.

In a proposal made by Hinton during the radio interview, he suggested that Lemonis could make a $50,000 donation to Maynard Children’s Hospital in exchange for a change in the ordinance, which Lemonis agreed to but specified it should not be a quid pro quo arrangement.

Lemonis began flying the oversized American flags in October. The flags are reported to be nearly 15 times larger than what local codes permit for non-residential properties. The city limits flagpoles to a maximum height of 70 feet, while Camping World’s flagpole stands at 120 feet.

The legal battle is not isolated to Greenville; a similar dispute is unfolding in Sevierville, Tennessee, where Camping World faces restrictions on a flagpole that is 130 feet tall, exceeding the local maximum of 44 feet.

Lemonis passionately concludes, “Allow the flag to fly. Allow people to enjoy it.”