OpsLens Deck of 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders
In 2018, as a spin-off and salute to the original 2003 deck of 52 Most Wanted playing cards, let’s honor post 9/11 frontline leaders here at home. Once a week, for 52 weeks this year, OpsLens will post a card highlighting one of the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders. You’ll learn the top facts about their business or organization, as well as why they made the list, which comes down to impact, scalability, health, and unique value proposition.
I encourage you to look for these weekly updates, share the card with your network, and support or buy the products and services they offer. See the 52 Most Wanted Post 9/11 Frontline Leaders launch story here.
Jack of Hearts | The Rustic Flag Company
There’s a lot of talk about bringing back American manufacturing. In the middle of Tennessee, U.S. Army veteran Justin Scott and his wife, Donna, are taking action. In 2014, they cofounded the Rustic Flag Company, which offers the breathtaking, meticulously handcrafted woodworking art of Old Glory. The very first flag was created in their garage while trying to replicate a wooden version of Justin’s DCU Combat patch, the one he had worn in Iraq clearing routes as a combat engineer in 2004. Woodworking had long been a hobby of his—but this time, a friend purchased the item as an anniversary present for her husband. What happened next changed the course of the Scott family’s life. Several friends sought to buy one of these stunning flags and the product spoke for itself—popularity (and demand) exploded on social media. Justin asked his fellow veteran friends to join in the venture, leaned on Donna’s creative genius, and launched a company based on military values and ethics. In fact, they now employ nearly 50 people in the more rural part of our country, individuals who are nearly all veterans themselves or are the family of veterans.
In little over three years, the Rustic Flag Company has become the nation’s largest consumer of 1X American Spruce and has sold upwards of 90,000 flags—all handcrafted in Tennessee. When you read that this company delivers premium quality, they mean premium. And handmade. Every single star is hand-carved with a hammer and chisel, hand-painted work is performed by a former U.S. Navy Seabee and his wife, as well as options for designs that use laser or engraving (you have to check out their new tribute piece to those who fought in Iwo Jima). The specific lumber (chosen for its earthy grain and characteristics) is sourced from the beautiful northwest and Montana. All along, they have continued to utilize American-owned businesses to supply the necessary materials. They continue to grow with the aspiration of employing even more veterans and their families (no mistake, their mission statement is about stable jobs, great wages, and a top-notch work environment), and to bring back American manufacturing.
The Rustic Flag Company is a frontline leader that should be on your list of most wanted businesses to support in 2018.
Frontline Leader (Founder(s)): Justin & Donna Scott.
Name of Company/Organization: The Rustic Flag Company, founded 2014.
Location: HQ is Trenton, Tennessee.
Post 9/11 Service Connection: U.S. Army (Combat Engineer).
Tours of Duty: Iraq (OIF III), convoy security and route clearance on MSR Tampa.
One sentence tagline & mission statement: Bringing Back American Manufacturing.
Website: www.therusticflagcompany.com/
