As several big-name retailers stop sales of Confederate-themed merchandise, that could mean big business for a Georgia-based company.

Ruffin Flag Company in Washington, Georgia has been in business for nearly 25 years, manufacturing flags of nations worldwide.  The company makes hundreds of other items, from flip-flops and lapel pins to mugs and bikinis.

Company president Soren Dresch says one of their consistent top-selling flag is the one with the Confederate battle emblem.

"Probably after the U. S. flag, the Marine flag, and the Gadsden flag is the Rebel flag or Confederate flag," says Dresch.

The company's customers are largely Army/Navy stores, tourist shops, and resellers who list the items on sites like eBay and Amazon.

Now, those online retailers are yanking the listings of Confederate-themed items, following the example of retailers like Target, Sears, and Wal-Mart pulling similar merchandise from their real and virtual shelves.

The controversial flag is emblematic of the slave-holding South; its supporters argue that it represents their “heritage.”  The accused racist killer who gunned down nine people in a church massacre in Charleston last week waved the flag proudly in pictures tied to an online manifesto.

Dresch does not anticipate--yet--that demand will ramp up on their end.

"I don't perceive it being a long-term thing," he says, noting that the current debate was launched by a horrible crime.  "I think it has the origins in a tragedy, so I don't think that's a reason for anyone to celebrate."

South Carolina's governor has called upon state lawmakers to vote to remove the battle emblem from the state House.  The measure, if taken up in the legislature, requires a supermajority vote in both chambers to remove the flag.

The first time South Carolina's flag debate roiled, Ruffin did a brisk business.  It was and is one of the largest suppliers of flags to that state.

"It was actually pretty huge because we were making the flags for the state of South Carolina that were certified as having flown over the Dome, and before they took it down, [there was a] very large increase in flags from people that wanted one that flew over the South Carolina state House.  So that was probably the last time we saw a big rush on flags."

Dresch says the other times they had a large demand to ramp up production of certain flags was for the U. S. flag after 9/11, and when Georgia had a debate over changing its flag with the Confederate emblem last decade.

He says the people who are already into buying the flags will probably keep buying them, but Dresch is doubtful that the headlines will lead to a real and lasting clamor for a bigger supply of the Confederacy flags.

"If you talk about gun control, then guns sell better.  If you talk about making a flag illegal, then flags are going to go up," he says.