Here at KHT, we love our motto (thanks, Dad!).  It’s a call, and a promise, to all of our customers, to send us those pesky (I really like the word pesky!!) thermal processing jobs that keep you up at night, so we can “do our thing” providing amazing solutions, production, and delivery. Driving this summer, I noticed some of the state flags and mottos. (Make time to watch the TED Talk below about flag design featuring Roman Mars of 99% Invisible podcast – it’s awesome, and the ending will have you howling!). Here in Ohio, our motto – “With God, All Things Are Possible”– reflects a faith-centric vision of perseverance and hope that resonates deeply with many Ohioans. But we’re not alone, and that nearly half of U.S. state mottos are in Latin, chosen by early leaders to give their words a sense of permanence and prestige. From Kansas’ bold “Ad Astra per Aspera” (“To the Stars Through Difficulties”) to Missouri’s “Salus Populi Suprema Lex Esto” (“The Welfare of the People Shall Be the Supreme Law”), these phrases carry so much history and meaning. Others, like Florida’s “In God We Trust” and South Dakota’s “Under God, the People Rule,” share Ohio’s faith-based tone, while mottos like New Hampshire’s “Live Free or Die” and California’s triumphant “Eureka!” are simply great. Together, they are a fascinating portrait of America’s values, dreams, and identity, and paint a fascinating portrait of our country. I hope you find some of these as interesting and uplifting as I did (honestly, some I think are clunkers), but nonetheless, thought provoking (in full openness – I don’t like Chicago’s flag!)  I tried to sort them by theme and included the Latin (sometimes it sounds better than the translation) and English (and four “other” languages), and starred some of my favorites. Enjoy!

Read more