Larry Sprinkle & Barry Austin
Barry Austin is widely known as the “Flag Guru of The Southeast”. If you want to know anything about a flag, a flagpole, flagpole installation, flag history or quirky flag stories, Barry is the man to see.
Barry’s grandfather, Carson Conder, started Conder’s Soda Shop in 1941 on West Trade Street. The soda shop started selling flags during World War II to support neighborhood troops in service, drawing families who wanted to buy American-made flags for their homes.
Barry joined the company a few years after college and has since developed great relationships with customers all over the Charlotte area. He manages the day-to-day needs of the business which range from figuring out how to get a giant crane near enough to an installation area to ordering the huge amount of flag parts and products stored in the warehouse.
Barry graduated from Wake Forest University and enjoys running, reading, trivia and being active in his local church.