American Flags Become a Trademark of Terrible Herbst

LAS VEGAS — Terrible Herbst Inc. has made an unofficial trademark for its stores across the West: American flags.

Of the more than 150 locations operated by Terrible Herbst, the company has about 85 American flags waving in front of their locations in the Las Vegas Valley, as well as other areas of Nevada, and across parts of Arizona and California, Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

According to Tom Pedro, who manages the flags for Terrible Herbst convenience stores and gas stations as the company's maintenance director, the flags have become a company trademark.

"It just became part of their tradition to always fly the flag proudly," he said. "Whenever we open a new store we always fly the flag, wherever we can."

The average size of an American flag at a major Terrible Herbst location is about 20 feet by 38 feet. If measured against a 6-foot man, these flags are taller than three men standing on one another's shoulders, and wider than six lying head to foot, Pedro noted. The smallest flags are 5 feet by 10 feet. The largest flag in Searchlight, Nev., is about 30 feet by 50 feet.

The flags stay up 24/7, through rain and heat, "as long as we can keep them up there," the maintenance director explained. The only locations without a flag due to height restrictions are in Summerlin, Nev.

When flags are torn or overly faded, store managers are in charge of notifying the company. Sometimes the corporate office will be alerted if a flag is seen in disrepair. It is a two-week process to repair and replace the flags, reported the news outlet.

The American flag trademark at Terrible Herbst began in 1959 when Jerry Herbst established the company. According to Pedro, "he wanted those flags to be seen. Not because it was his property, but because he was proud to be an American."

Although the flags may go unnoticed to the average customer, Pedro added that many people ask about them.

"We have a lot of veterans in town, and because they fought for that flag, they really pay attention to it," he said.

Las Vegas-based Terrible Herbst operates more than 150 c-stores, car washes and oil change stations across Nevada, California, Arizona and Utah.