Popular RV seller brand Camping World Holdings has been surrounded by controversy over a towering American flag in Greenville. City council officials have raised their objections, citing that the flag and flagpole do not comply with Greenville’s regulations.
As the development took a legal turn, the RV dealer decided to close its Greenville location.
Highlights
- Camping World plans to close one of its Greenville locations following citations for violating the city’s zoning ordinance.
- The decision came after a lawsuit against the RV dealer and its CEO for setting up a giant flag in the city.
- CEO Marcus Lemonis asserted that council members were not aware of the state’s statutes and that he would go to jail but not take down the flag.
Camping World Closes Its Greenville Location
The RV market experienced significant growth following the COVID-19 pandemic. RV dealers, including Camping World, have been doing good business since then. But things have turned sour for Camping World as it is surrounded by troubles of closure amid a flag controversy.
The controversy started when an Illinois-based RV dealer hung a massive American flag in October 2024. After facing continuous objections and legal suits by Greenville’s City Council members, Camping World has decided to end operations.
The shutdown will be done at one of its two city locations, the Forest River RV location on Greenville Boulevard.
The RV Dealer Battles Legal Flag Controversy
According to council members, the controversial flag on Red Banks Road and Evans Street adjoining point is 15 times larger than the allowed size. Its exact size is 3,200 sq. ft., flying on a 130-foot-tall pole in a non-residential area.
As both the flag and flagpole set up by the RV dealer brand violate Greenville’s zoning ordinance, council members filed a lawsuit against Camping World and its CEO in March 2025. They cited safety reasons, visual obstruction for motorists, and poor scenic views as reasons behind the decision.
CEO Marcus Lemonis Refuses To Take Down the Flag
Marcus Lemonis, CEO of the popular RV dealer, is not ready to take down the controversial American flag. Lemonis asserted that he would not remove the flag even if he had to go to jail.
The Camping World CEO added that Greenville’s council members had not researched North Carolina’s statutes.
Admitting that the ongoing legal feud has impacted Camping World’s operations, Lemonis said that actions should be taken against him, not his company. He said that he put the flag, so questions should not be asked about his RV dealer brand.
Lemonis revealed that he had put the flag up to fulfill his childhood dream. As he was adopted by a family in Florida and raised around their car dealership, he often saw flying Stripes and Stars. Promising to fly an even bigger flag, Lemonis placed the flag in Greenville.
Current State of Camping World’s Operations
The Illinois brand has been functioning as a retailer offering RV accessories, RVs, and related items since 1966. In 2016, it became a public organization and raised $251 million.
Camping World currently has a $849 million market cap. Its shares have fallen, though, reaching $13.59 for each share (35.53% drop).
The recent closure decision of Camping World sheds light on the troubles businesses face in a politically driven environment. Its legal fight with Greenville’s city council hints towards the RV dealer’s unstable operations in its other location in the city.
