Shortly after last year's terrorist attacks, Channellock Inc. knew it struck the right tone with Americans.

The Meadville tool company distributed 50,000 bumper stickers with the American flag emblazoned with words: "Let's Roll!'' The phrase was used by Todd Beamer on the ill-fated United Airlines Flight 93 after learning the plane was hijacked as a weapon on Sept. 11. Passengers fought the terrorists and the plane crashed in Somerset County.

Also on the bumper sticker was the company's name and its Internet address. Owned for five generations by the DeArment family, the company was concerned about how to show its pride in America without giving the appearance Channellock was attempting to cash in on the tragedy.

Randy Ferguson, the company's director of communications, sent a batch of the bumper stickers to Duferco Farrell Corp.'s steel plant in Farrell where his father-in-law worked.

"Sure enough they went like hot cakes,'' Ferguson said.

A second printing run was ordered for nearly another 100,000 bumper stickers which were given to customers, sales representative and slipped in catalogs all for free. Given out to restaurants, barbershops and retailers, customers writing or e-mailing the company were mailed one.

Like other American companies, the 116-year-old Channellock thought deeply about touting its patriotism but doing it in a way that avoided exploitation. Changing an insert card on its popular series of pliers to display the American flag proved to be popular.

"The way we tried to present any of these things was not in relation to advertising -- we tried to keep that separate,'' Ferguson said.

While the flag and bumper sticker helped deal with emotions, it didn't bolster the company's sales.

Even before the terrorist attacks it was a brutal year for the tool industry as the market was hammered in the economic downturn. Employing 500, Channellock had to lay off 100 last October due to flagging sales. Since spring sales have risen and the company has called back three-fourths of those workers.

During this time Channellock found it had to shift create a new bumper sticker as entrepreneurs and others were openly trying to generate profits on the "Let's Roll'' concept. Everything from pillow cases to key chains were being produced with the phrase. The company's new bumper sticker now reads: Stand Tall America.

"It was done with a certain amount of sadness if you will,'' Ferguson said of the change. "Just the thought of being associated by a group of people who would do that ... we wanted no part of it.''

Although still giving out the new bumper sticker, the company has seen requests wane in recent months and has stopped using flag insert cards in products. Channellock is now mulling how long to continue with the remembrance of Sept. 11.

"You reach a point where you try to decide how long is it appropriate for us,'' Ferguson said. "We didn't want to turn it into something that was overdone. The last thing you want is to get to the point where you have other reasons for wanting to do these types of things.''

Requests for Stand Tall America bumper stickers can be made on the company's Web site at: www.channellock.com and go to the company's feedback page. Written requests can be made to: Channellock c/o Randy Ferguson, 1306 S. Main St., Meadville, PA, 16335.