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about US

| our mission | our goals and values | our history and timeline | driving directions | contact us |

our MISSION

To enhance the quality of life for all people, with resources for physical activity, recreation, therapy, and the development and support of life skills.

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our goals and VALUES

We strive to be the supplier of choice for physical education, recreation, and therapy professionals. First and foremost, we aim to ensure that our customers are extremely satisfied in all of their dealings with us. We seek to provide the products and services that best meet our customers’ needs and embody quality, innovation, and value. We always believe we can improve how we serve our customers. We embrace change to improve our company, our product offering, and ourselves.

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our history and TIMELINE

Our story is one of continual change, experimentation, and growth. Every decade has brought new challenges from the marketplace and changing customer needs and demands. The company's response to those challenges has fueled our growth.

1954 – FlagHouse is founded in New York City's Greenwich Village area to sell booster and fundraising items, including pennants and flags to schools, giving rise to our name. The company is an early adopter of mail order and direct marketing methods.

1962 – Monte Carmel becomes a partner and expands the company by adding sporting goods to the product line and marketing them to summer camps. The segment comes to dominate the company's business, and public schools become the largest customer base.

1970 – The company mails its first full-length catalog for sports and recreation to schools, youth organizations, recreation programs, camps, and other institution-based customers.

1972 – The company expands and moves to the Flatiron district (West 18th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) in New York City.

1977– The company responds to passage of the federal law (P.L. 92-194 “Education of the Handicapped Child Act”), requiring fair and appropriate education of children with disabilities. Recognizing the lack of resources needed to educate students with special needs, the company is the first to develop a catalog featuring products for their specific use. Entitled the Exceptional Catalog, this is the precursor to the current Special Populations catalog and SpecialPopulations.com.

1978 – The company launches a second physical education catalog, entitled Sports & Play, specifically targeted toward the Kindergarten through 8th grade school market.

1985 – George Carmel, the younger son of Monte Carmel, joins the company.

1986 – The company relocates into a 50,000-square foot distribution center in Mount Vernon, NY, just north of New York City.

1992 – Representatives travel to the United Kingdom and discover the transformative impact of SNOEZELEN® sensory environments in special-needs communities. ROMPA®, Ltd. appoints the company as the exclusive North American distributor for SNOEZELEN. This innovative product line further positions the company as North America's pre-eminent special-needs resource supplier.

The first U.S. SNOEZELEN multi-sensory environment is installed by A.C.R.M.D. (now Lifespire™) in their adult day treatment center in Brooklyn, NY.

The first Canadian SNOEZELEN multi-sensory environment opens at the Bloorview MacMillan Centre for children in Toronto.

The company establishes a Canadian division, FlagHouse Canada, located in Toronto, Ontario.

The company forms a strategic partnership with G&S Smirthwaite of Devon, England, and is appointed the exclusive North American distributor for the manufacturer's quality positioning and conductive education furniture for children and adults with special needs.

Further sales growth leads us to occupy an additional 30,000-square foot warehouse in Yonkers, NY.

1996 – The company relocates to Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, expanding its operations into a modern 118,000-square foot facility. Douglas Carmel, the older son of Monte Carmel, joins the company.

1997 – FlagHouse is proud to become the founding sponsor of PECentral.org, the premier web site and resource for physical education professionals around the world.

1998 – The company obtains the marketing and distribution rights for CATCH®: A Coordinated Approach to Child Health, the most highly researched and tested program for promoting children's wellness through physical fitness, proper nutrition, and behavior modification. CATCH quickly becomes the leading health initiative for children's wellness in the United States. Monte Carmel retires. George and Douglas Carmel assume full leadership of the company.

1999 – The company launches a new catalog, entitled Activities for Life, that focuses on active, recreational resources for aging populations. The company hosts the SNOEZELEN World Congress in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, bringing together therapists, educators, academics, physicians, and other professionals from around the world, for an exciting, informative, shared learning experience. In conjunction with highly respected educator, Eric Malmberg, the company develops KiDnastics™, a movement education program that provides PE professionals with an alternative to stunt gymnastics programs.

2000 – The company installs the first SNOEZELEN multi-sensory environment in Mexico City, Mexico at the Teleton Children’s Medical Center. The company partners with the Michigan Governor's Council on Physical Fitness, Health and Sports as the exclusive national distributor and equipment supplier for The Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum (EPEC).

2002 – The company is also proud to be named the exclusive distributor of Physical Best, a health-related physical fitness curriculum developed by members of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD).

2003 – The company joins forces with the American Association of AdaptedSports™ Programs (AAASP) and the American Association for Active Lifestyles and Fitness (AAALF) to involve students with physical disabilities and visual impairments in competitive after-school sports leagues through Project ASPIRE.

2004 - The company continues to strengthen its position in the PE and recreation community by forming a strategic partnership with Project Adventure, the leader in cooperative and adventure education.

2005 – The company re-launches a much expanded web presence, and continues to extend our worldwide message of health, fitness, and wellness. The company launches a much expanded FlagHouse.com and two additional dedicated web sites: SpecialPopulations.com and ActivitiesForLife.com. Well into its fifth decade, the company is still privately held, with over 105 dedicated, highly skilled people in the United States and Canada, with worldwide distributors, and with the talent and drive to continue serving our customers for many years to come.

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driving directions to FLAGHOUSE

Located in a spacious office/industrial park in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, FlagHouse is easily accessible by car from major highways.

From Points South:

New Jersey Turnpike /I-95: Route 80 West (local lanes) to exit 64-B (Hasbrouck Heights). At the bottom of exit ramp, turn left onto "Polifly Rd." Go under Route 80. Hilton Hotel is on left. At light, turn left into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit out of hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

Garden State Parkway: Garden State Pkwy North to exit 159 (Rt. 80 East). Proceed to exit 64 onto Route 17 South. Immediately get over to right lane. Proceed to "Terrace Ave./Polifly Rd." exit. At light, turn left onto Terrace Ave. Hilton Hotel is on right. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

Route 17 North (Rutherford, Secaucus and Meadowlands): Route 17 North to "Polifly Rd./Rte. 80 East" exit. At top of exit ramp is Hilton Hotel. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

From Points North:

Route 17 South (Lodi, Paramus and Tappan Zee Bridge): Route 17 South to "Terrace Ave./Polifly Rd." exit. At light, turn left onto "Terrace Ave." Hilton Hotel is on right. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

Garden State Parkway: Garden State Pkwy South to Exit 159 (I-80 East). Proceed on Route 80 East to exit 64 onto Route 17 South. Immediately get over to right lane. Proceed to "Terrace Ave./Polifly Rd." exit. At light, turn left onto Terrace Ave. Hilton Hotel is on right. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

From Points West:

Route 46 East (Lodi, Saddle Brook and Paterson): Route 46 East to "Terrace Ave" exit. At end of ramp, turn right and go over Route 17. Hilton Hotel is on right. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit out of hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

Route 80 East (from Hackensack, Saddle Brook, Paterson and Pennsylvania): Route 80 East to exit 64 on to Route 17 South. Immediately get over to right lane. Proceed to "Terrace Ave./Polifly Rd." exit. At light, turn left onto Terrace Ave. Hilton Hotel is on right. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit out of hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

From NYC (East):

Lincoln Tunnel (or New Jersey Turnpike): When exiting tunnel, follow signs to Route 3 West. Proceed past Giants Stadium to Rte. 17 N exit. Continue on Rte. 17 N to "Polifly Rd./Rte. 80 East" exit. At top of exit ramp is Hilton Hotel. Turn right at light into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

George Washington Bridge: I-95 South to I-80 West "Local Lanes" (Exit 68). Continue West on Rte. 80 to Exit 64B. At bottom of exit ramp turn left on Polifly Ave. Go under Rte. 80. Hilton Hotel is on left. At light, turn left into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right to FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

From Points East:

Route 46 West (Teterboro, Englewood, Ridgefield or George Washington Bridge): Rte. 46 West to "Rte. 17 N/Paramus" exit. FlagHouse driveway is first one, halfway down exit ramp. Do not get onto Rte. 17. FlagHouse is second building on right. Visitor parking is in front of the building.

Route 80 West (from Teaneck, Fort Lee or George Washington ridge): Rte. 80 W (local lanes) to exit 64 B (Hasbrouck Heights). At the bottom of exit ramp, turn left onto "Polifly Rd." Go under Rte. 80. Hilton Hotel is on left. At light, turn left into hotel driveway. Follow to rear of hotel and bear right to exit hotel parking lot. Turn left and then bear right for FlagHouse Visitor Parking.

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contact US

To purchase: 8:00am - 7:00pm (ET) Monday through Friday.
UNITED STATES – Call us at 800.793.7900 or 201.288.7600
CANADA – Call us at 800.265.6900 or 416.495.8262
To place your order, please have your credit card or purchase order available.

For all other communications: You are welcome contact us via phone, fax, mail or e-mail us questions, comments or bid requests.

Corporate Office – USA and Outside of North America
By Phone: 800.793.7900 or 201.288.7600
By Fax: 800.793.7922 or 201.288.7887
By Mail: 601 FlagHouse Drive, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604-3116
By e-mail: sales@flaghouse.com

Canada – Sales and Customer Service
By Phone: 800.265.6900 or 416.495.8262
By Fax: 800.265.6922 or 416.495.8536
By Mail: 235 Yorkland Blvd, Suite 105, North York, ON M2J 4Y8
By e-mail: flaghousecanada@flaghouse.com

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