Upon entering Ace Banner, one would not guess that the small room with a printing space in the back is part of a 100-year old business. Yet Ace Banner has not only existed since 1916 (the year that Flag Day was instituted), but it also has the largest inventory of stock flags in the country. In addition, Ace Banner has made many, if not most, of the banners that hang outside New York’s businesses and in film and television productions. Carl Calo, the owner, told me that his friends have refused to walk the streets with him unless he stops pointing out every banner that his business has made. Carl started out on Wall Street as a portfolio manager in the 1970s, fresh out of Long Island University with a management degree. His plan was to buy out New York businesses, turn them around, and resell them. However, in 1975, Carl learned that Ace Banner was for sale. He took over and quickly fell in love with the business, leading it through important technological changes, including making the transition from screen printing to digital. Begun in 1916 as a sign business, I found it fascinating to fast forward 100 years while listening to Carl recite the history of Ace Banner. Forty years later, Carl believes that the secret to his success has been the personal attention that each of his customers receive. He emphasized that although the company has changed its name and address a few times over the decades, it is the continued devotion that he and his team continue to have for the business that keeps it moving ahead. The have created flags and banners for schools, libraries, a long list of well known designers, the United States Tennis Association, and NYC marathons. What I found most moving was that Carl sold out of his entire inventory of American flags immediately following 9/11.
