Bacon, High in the Sky!

Well, as we say here at Consort, "What's Next?!"  How about bacon images on your Dori Pole pennants? 'Bet you never thought of that!

Yes, it's true, in Consort's home town of Kalamazoo, the annual 26.2 marathon has been a major community event near the first part of May for many years. For the past four years the inspired and enthusiastic neighbors that live near the halfway point have sponsored what every creative marathon needs, a Bacon Station! With porcine delights of many forms the racers are enticed to drop their racer-motivated diets for just the opposite. Of course, most of the bacon and bacon muffins, cookies, fudge, and so on are eagerly consumed by the cheering spectators. But, a surprising amount of the meat-candy is taken up by the racers,usually to be tossed aside 50 yards later where the neighborhood dogs have taken up their cheering section. Ruff! More! Ruff! More!

A delightful time for all and the racers appreciate the attention and support, even if they aren't into the dubious nutrition being offered them.

The bacon pennants are not a stock item in our array of available pennants, but if you're interested in those or have an idea for a specialty pennant design, contact your Consort sales rep today.
Submitted by Roger Lepley

Dori Pole Lake Home and Cottage Customers are Fun!

     The use of Dori Pole Pennants at lake homes and cottages is growing rapidly in North America. And, lake home and cottage owners are among our favorite customers because they almost always seem to be happy! The fact is, why not?! They’re communicating with us about a fun, unusual product (Dori Pole) for a fun place to be (their lake home)! So, when we have the opportunity we ask them how they found out about us or what prompted them to order a Dori Pole. And, if possible, we ask for a photo of the pole or poles in action.
     Here’s a great example of all that, from new “Dori Pole Friends” near Memphis, Tennessee:

     “We saw the Dori Poles around Clark Lake, Michigan while visiting there and fell in love with them! There was one on the dock of the cottage we rented and we were told it was there to scare off the geese, which really appealed to us, as we have a goose problem here on Walnut Grove Lake.”
     "Then, the next day during a boat ride, we saw lots of Dori Poles in all the different colors and we all decided we had to get them. So, when we got back to the cottage we did some serious Googling and found them on your web site. We each picked out the color we wanted and even contacted a couple of our friends back home and told them they needed to get one, to trust us, to pick out a color for them! Now we have 6 flags on the lake and they look so festive. The 7th will go on one of our neighborhood docks as soon as we have it refinished next week.” (MM, Cordova, TN)

     That's a wonderful story and as "MM" relates, there are two main reasons why Dori Poles are loved. One is the color and motion that happens with the slightest breeze, providing motion and a festive look. The other is the proven fact they the flowing pennants tend to deter geese and other nuisance birds from landing near them. Other reasons that customers give us for buying are that they help friends easily find their cottage on the lake. Also, one of my lake neighbors has four different colors of pennants that she chooses from to install depending on her mood or the seasons. We do the same thing with our three poles and on the 4th of July it’s red white and blue all the way. In fact, here’s a photo of our pontoon boat for our lake’s annual 4th of July pontoon parade. Lots of fun and lots of smiles!
Roger Lepley

No Deposit, No Return! Dori Pole Pennants Keep Geese off Lake Docks and Rafts

     The topic of deterring geese and ducks from landing in certain areas has come up often in my world. First of all, because we manufacture the Dori Pole® Pennant System and, second, because our family has a lake cottage in Michigan where the shoreline is a favored spot for birds to gather, party, and leave untidy deposits, if you know what I mean. However, since 2005 we have installed our 20' tall Dori Poles with 15' long pennants on the dock during the summers and consequently the birds no longer land on our property. Hence, no mess!  Also, no nesting of smaller birds occurs under our Shore Station, which has a Dori Pole mounted adjacent.
     In addition, just as important and intriguing is that the smaller 12' tall Dori Pole Junior with an 8' long pennant is becoming known as an excellent and festive way to keep unwanted birds off lake rafts. Here is the latest testimonial from a happy customer:

“I bought one of your Dori Poles a few weeks back and took it to my cottage where it is mounted on the 8' x 8' swim raft, which is anchored about 100' off shore. In past years, the raft was used by ducks and geese as a latrine, so I didn't even bother putting the raft out last year. This year, so far, great success: not one bird has used the raft as a toilet! And the flag looks neat, fluttering in the slightest breeze. A recent photo is attached. My cottage and the raft are about 160 miles north of Toronto, near Algonquin Park, Ontario.” (JM in Ontario, Canada): 

Also, a friend with a lake home in Wisconsin sent a photo and this message:

"I had great results with the Dori Pole Junior on our raft. I included a picture which shows that the raft has no bird deposits, and the nice thing about the Dori Pole is that it is not in the way of swimmers using the raft. The Dori Pole is a great product, attractive, light weight and sturdy. We have 2.5 miles of open water in front of our cottage and the wind can be very strong; but the Dori Pole stands up to it just fine." (TE, Ripon Wisconsin)

     I invite you to check out other bird deterrent information on our Dori Pole website, www.doripole.com. Click on “Goose Problems?” for news and a video. Not only is this a humane and effective method of bird control, it’s also colorful and festive – it’s “excitement in the air”!

Roger Lepley

Golf Course Geese Stay Away From Dori Pole Pennants!

“These pennant things are amazing! The geese are actually afraid of them,” cites golf pro, Dick Stewart, of the Kalamazoo Country Club who, along with the golf course superintendent, John Fulling, has tried “everything” to deter geese from making a mess of the 12^th tee and green and the 13^th tee. This Michigan country club has an extensive shoreline on a small urban lake where the geese have taken on their own dues-free membership on the beautiful and well-maintained grounds.

                  According to Fulling, the 100-year-old club has tried wires and shiny ground-hugging ribbons as well as dogs and much more, without much success (the dogs are effective but invariably become “pets” of the members and eventually lose interest in chasing birds). For the past five weeks Consort has helped the club with a test using four of their Dori Pole Pennants spaced about 80 yards apart along the shore, but strategically positioned to be out of range of golf shots. The 20’ high, 15’ long pennants float in the prevailing breeze and make the geese uncomfortable, as though a larger bird of prey were swooping around.

“The effect is uncanny”, says Stewart. “But, in those rare times when there is no breeze at all the geese start to move onto shore and trot right back up to the green and tees. Fortunately, we get enough wind that the pennants are probably at least 80% effective”.

John Fulling is encouraged and hopeful that the birds won’t get “used-to” the pennants and just ignore them after awhile. “But, even if they do, we can put them out and take them in for special events and tournaments and I suspect they’d work well for that. We’ll just have to see but currently, the news is all good!”

The country club already owned six Dori Poles with the club colors which they have periodically put up through the year for outdoor special celebrations including the annual “Invitational Tournament” and the February Winter Carnival, among other events. The tall pennants are also an income stream as they can rent them for the many outdoor weddings, where the bridal couple can choose special color pennants.

If you know of a golf course that would like to try Dori Poles for bird control or for outdoor display, please refer them to our Dori Pole website, doripole.com. Also, view our Dori Pole and bird deterrent videos.

Residential Application of the Dori Pole Pennant System

Many homeowners have been using Dori Poles in a wide variety of ways. Thats right, Dori Poles aren't only the perfect addition to an event, festival, or business; they are also a great for residential use. 

The pennant system is being used to define a sense of space and place for the homeowner. Gardeners truly enjoy using the Dori Poles to draw attention to their gardens. The pennants blow and flail in the wind, and keep unwanted birds away from gardens better than even the most realistic of scarecrows.

Show support for your favorite local sports teams by flying their team colors in your front-yard.   If the 19'-22' poles are too tall for your yard, don't worry, we've got you covered. Our Dori Pole Jr. is a two piece 12' fiberglass pole with a Dori Pole Jr. rotating yoke and 8' colorful pennant. This smaller scale is perfect as an eye-catcher for home parties, the beach, or to make your favorite teams colors fly in the wind! 

Dori Poles are a fantastic way to decorate for celebrations or birthday parties. With so many colors and pole lengths to choose from, Consort Display Group offers Dori Poles that would enhance any special occasion at www.consort.com.  So get yours for that next big celebration today!

Dori Poles and the Marina: The Perfect Combination

Dori Poles can attract attention to any business. The high flying fifteen foot pennants, on our non-tangling, swiveling “Yoke” bracket would catch the eye of even the most inattentive potential customer.   Not only does the Dori Pole grab people's attention, it is a great, green, eco-friendly bird deterrent. It is for these two reasons that Marina's love to use the Dori Pole pennant display system; they are the perfect match.

MarineMax Marina, located in Wilmington, NC, has heavily implemented the use of Dori Poles within their company. They have found the pennant display system to be extremely versatile, using it for several different applications.

The marina docks host several red, white and blue pennants flying up to twenty-two feet in the air. The bright, eye-catching colors attract plenty of attention, and serve as a great welcome back to marina members. Pesky birds are deterred by the flailing pennants, keeping the dock, and boats, clean and sanitary. 

While on outings and cruises, MarineMax uses a Dori Pole on the lead boat as they cruise down the river, making it easy for all following boats to distinguish where they are headed. They also mark their stops at various islands and beaches with Dori Poles, not only to serve as markers for stop points, but to create a sense of festivity and fun as well. Outing participants truly enjoy seeing the pennants flying in the air, and are able to see that MarineMax has a special eye for detail, and a commitment to making their time off-shore as enjoyable as possible. 

Dori Poles Welcome Shoppers to the New Kukui‘ula Shopping Center in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii

Of course, Dori Pole pennants have been in thousands of outdoor settings over the past 25 years, but to me they always look best in the newest and latest installation! Maybe that’s the point. The 20 foot tall fiberglass pole with the 15 foot long flowing nylon pennant has its own, unique never-out-of-style kind of flavor.

In this installation, the shopping center is a new development at the south end of the island of Kauai near Poipu. And, although this “garden island” setting with palm trees and other lush greenery may seem like it doesn’t need “decorating” the added flowing color and inviting nature of the pennants make one take a second look at what might be offered in the development beyond.

Other examples of Dori Poles on Kauai are shown below and include the Hanalei Dolphin restaurant in Hanalei, Kauai along the Hanalei River. The blue pennants not only add color and movement but also help a bit with bird control for the outdoor seating (birds don’t like being under the pennant’s moving shadow). If you go to Kauai, be sure to visit the Dolphin for lunch or dinner – this is clearly one of the best restaurants on the island and has a superb fish market in the back.

The next example includes the yellow and green pennants at the Princeville Ranch, just 5 miles south of Hanalei. These three pennants are always moving and inviting folks to glance eastward to the Ranch that is just slightly off the road. As a center for horseback riding and zip lining, it gets a lot of attention but the Ranch finds it easier for folks to spot with the inviting pennants along the road.

I’ll bet you know a place or two that could benefit from the inviting color and flutter of Dori Poles. If so, please send them our way!

Here’s A New Term for You: “Bird Deterrent”! Or, Caution Geese: You Are Entering A Dori Pole Zone!

With Consort’s festival Dori Pole Pennant System, we receive quite a few questions similar to, “Does the Dori Pole really keep birds away from wherever it’s installed?” The amazing answer is, “Yes!” it really does do all that! I’m not even exactly sure how we discovered that it had that effect on birds. I believe it was about three years ago when someone, who had bought one to put on his lake dock just for the color and flutter, wrote to us with, “Did you know that the pennants seem to discourage geese from loitering under them?” Well, no we really hadn’t made the connection ourselves, surprisingly enough.


After that email we immediately did a bit of research that resulted in the honest conclusion that birds, any type of birds, including geese, ducks, blue heron (unfortunately!) and so on, just don’t want to be under that flowing pennant and are probably also frightened or distracted by the large moving shadow that is created with the movement. With our own lake dock in Michigan, where we have three pole installed at 20’ intervals, I then realized that we hadn’t had any of the typical goose mess that we’d had in the past. And furthermore, this past spring, I hadn’t quite gotten the Dori Poles up quickly enough after we had installed our canopied Shore Station that the birds had started to make nests under canopy. We’d been away from the cottage for longer than usual in the spring and when we’d returned we had birds constantly flying under the canopy. I then installed the poles and pennants and the birds never returned.

So, there you go. A bird deterrent! And, with no obnoxious chemicals or funny noises. Yes, a "humane" bird deterrent.

Of course, the tall, elegant and colorful pennant product was not invented to be a bird deterrent, but it has become a main selling point for use at lake homes and cottages. I’m told that a few golf courses have installed Dori Poles strategically behind ponds, etc. (but hopefully away from the normal line of play -“normal” for me covers all of the course, nearby woods, parking lots and nearby tennis courts…).

We do know, however, that a gentle wind is also required for the effect to work. That is, at least three mile per hour breeze will do the trick. A lake friend of ours installed three poles with bright red pennants and immediately sent me an iPhone photo showing a gaggle of geese grazing gentle under the three poles shown on an absolutely still day. No breeze. None. The accompanying text said: “They don’t work!” I texted back: “Take another pic tomorrow”. He did exactly that. The new photo had the pennants moving and geese nowhere in sight! So, yes a bit of a breeze, as is common almost all the time anywhere in the world, is a necessary component. And, we do know that water not only attracts birds, it also attracts breezes, thank goodness!
Roger