About Hapsons
Scott Peterson, a passionate aviator, shifted from a corporate career to revive his family's flagpole business. Alongside his father Harold, Scott continues the legacy of H.A. Peterson & Sons, Inc.
SCOTT PETERSON
FROM AVIATION TO FLAGPOLE LEGACY
Scott Peterson, from a young age, had a love for aviation, just like his father. After getting his pilot's license and finishing college with a degree in aviation administration, he moved to Atlanta to start his career working for Marriott inflight services catering to Lufthansa German Airlines. After nine months of climbing the corporate ladder, he was promoted to account manager, handling every detail of the account for Marriott Inflight, and at twenty years old, he was the youngest account manager in the Marriott system.
After two and a half years in Atlanta, Scott transferred back to Miami with Marriott to continue his career. In 1983, Harold, at the end of his Eastern Airlines career, and his brother Mark, captain of the Broward Paramedics, became tired of working for corporate America and decided to reopen the family business.
BUILDING A QUIET REPUTATION
With Harold's years of experience and training as a Steeple Jack, the new company, the only specialty contractor in Miami Dade County, developed a reputation as a quiet contractor, completing major projects including Bayside Market Place, Miami International Airport, where seventy-four flagpoles were installed on the existing concrete sidewalk in front of the main terminal, a dealership with a one hundred and forty-four-foot flagpole in northeast Miami, both of Miami Arenas old and new, and the POAT Memorial at Tropical Park. HAPSONS has designed, installed, and maintained to this day Don King Enterprises in Deerfield Beach, which is the largest flagpole in the southeast part of the country at one hundred and fifty feet, and two sister poles at one hundred feet each at his main office.
HAROLD PETERSON
A LEGACY ROOTED IN STEEPLEJACK TRADITION
Harold Peterson, at the age of twelve, was brought into the family steeple jack business as the third generation when his father took him out of class to climb a 45-foot flagpole to install a new halyard at the local high school.
In high school, Harold missed many days working for the family business but continued to handle his schoolwork while out of town working on jobs. After graduating high school, he continued in the family business, repairing and installing church steeples and ornaments, smokestacks, and eventually large radio towers, which became his main business at that time.
A DIVERSE CAREER JOURNEY
As manufacturers recruited their installers, the business dwindled, and Harold went out on his own to support his new family, doing odd jobs, and ended up starting a new career working for Eastern Airlines as a flight attendant. Continuing his career with Eastern, he worked in dining services, inflight services, and corporate charters, where he handled the presidential charters of President Kennedy and the Miami Dolphins, where he developed personal relationships with many team members like Don Shula, Nick Buoniconti, Jim Kick, Bob Greasy, and many others.
REVIVING THE FAMILY LEGACY
He was then promoted to handling the Jet Star, Eastern's private jet, for many major corporations, rock bands like Three Dog Knight, other popular rock groups, and the private industry. In 1983, his sons, Mark and Scott, tired of working for corporate America, convinced Harold they wanted to reopen the family business to sell, install, and repair flagpoles. Mark and Scott reopened the business, and Harold taught his two sons the details of the business, including climbing flagpoles. The business quickly grew as they were the only licensed and insured specialty business selling and installing flagpoles. As the business grew, it consisted of Harold, his wife Joan, Mark, Scott, Arelis (Scott's wife), and, for a short time, Mark's son Jesse.
After forty years in Miami, our family business of ninety-seven years is still carried on by Scott and his wife, Arelis.
