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About H. A. Peterson & Sons, Inc.
H.A.
Peterson & Sons, established in 1926, was founded by H.A.
Peterson, Sr. at the age of sixteen. Peterson, Sr. had left
school part way through the third grade to work with his
stepfather Harry Hagan to help support the family.
Harry
Hagan ran away from home in Germany at the age of nine, to become
a cabin boy on a four masted sailing ship, in the year 1890. He
spent sixteen years sailing all over the world on square riggers
(four masted sailing ships) and was shipwrecked three times.
During these years, he learned everything there was to know about
rigging. When he decided he didn’t want to sail anymore, he went
to work as a Steeple Jack and rigger in Philadelphia PA and Camden
N.J. area.
It was during this time
that Harold Peterson, Sr. began gaining his work experience along
side his stepfather. At the age of sixteen, Harold, Sr. opened
his own Steeple Jack & rigging company and his stepfather Harry,
became his employee.
Harold, Sr. had a very
successful career as a contractor repairing, erecting and or
razing church Steeples, smoke stacks, both steel and brick; water
tanks; erecting and repairing radio and television towers; and
furnishing and repairing flagpoles until he passed away in 1969.
During his life Harold,
Sr. had four children, three girls and one boy, the oldest,
Harold, Jr. Harold, Jr. started climbing flagpoles and working
with his father when he was twelve years old, traveling around the
Eastern half of the U.S. while continuing his education.
Harold, Jr., after a
term in the U.S. Navy and getting married in the early 1950’s,
moved his wife and three sons to Miami in 1964. During the
1950’s, the major radio and television tower manufacturer’s
resorted to their own work forces for repair and erections
changing the industry forever.
After moving to Miami,
Harold, Jr. focused strictly on the flagpole market of sales,
installation and repairs using all the climbing and rigging
techniques he had learned over his twenty plus years in the
industry, and the two generations of experience passed on to him
by his father and grandfather.
Opening in Miami with
two of his three sons beside him, H.A. Peterson & Sons, Inc.
quickly became a leader in the industry, and helped to develop the
South Florida area with projects like Bayside; Mall of the
Americas; Miami Arena; American Airlines Arena; Joe Robbie
stadium; Wolfsonian Museum; historic renovation; Don King
Enterprises, Inc. (the largest flagpole in the Southeast).
Dealing in new
construction, residential and repairs, son Scott, now President
and fourth generation, still climbs flagpoles along side his
father the way his great grandfather used to with two slings and
two lashings.
H.A. Peterson & Sons has
grown over the years to become the largest flagpole dealer and
subcontractor in the South Florida area. Using their unique
climbing techniques, H.A. Peterson & Sons travels all around the
Country to handle those repair jobs not accessible to standard
means or cranes. (Please see our
repair page).
Click here to see the Star
Spangled Banner document.
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