Oregon Made Today: Steve Marcy on the Ideals Behind the Shop
A ten-minute listen on the ideals and history behind the shop.
- Published
- Updated
- Reading
- 2 min
The owner of Rose City Awning & Flag, Steve Marcy, is featured in the first episode of the podcast Oregon Made Today, a show about makers and manufacturers located in Oregon.
The episode
The episode gives you a peek into the ideals and history that make up Rose City Awning & Flag. Plan about ten minutes for it. Just a short jog!
Find the episode at Oregon Made Today
Make something beautiful and functional for the customer.
The shop, in four dates
- 1954 · Rose City Awning Co.The business starts making awnings in Portland, on the idea that a simple awning can make a home or a store more beautiful.
- Mid-1970s · Flags join the nameThe logo reads “Rose City Flags & Flagpoles.” Flags and flagpoles have been part of the business ever since.
- 2014 · Rose City Awning & FlagThe current logo: a striped awning over the full name, with the founding year underneath.
- 2020 · Oregon Made Today, episode 1Steve talks about the ideals and history behind the shop.
Still made here
The technology and the options have come a long way since 1954. The idea hasn’t changed, and neither has the place the work gets done. On NW Nela Street today:
- Fabric covers are cut on the long table and sewn in the shop, some of them on Betsy, the shop’s Singer.
- Aluminum frames are welded and shaped to the building: dome, concave, convex and straight.
- Logos and lettering are cut on an SGS 100 graphics machine and applied with 3M Scotchcal film.
- Our own crew installs SummerSpace retractable awnings and FlexShade and Vivista screens.
- Flags and flagpoles are still sold from the same shop, and online.
Steve also writes for this journal; start with why we use stainless steel chains in our SummerSpace awnings. To see the work itself, browse our projects, or read our story since 1954.
Originally published February 17, 2020. Updated October 22, 2026 with the shop’s history and what we make today.
Sources
- Oregon Made Today, Oregon Made Today podcast
Questions
About the shop
When was Rose City Awning & Flag founded?
In 1954, in Portland, as Rose City Awning Co. Flags and flagpoles were part of the name by the mid-1970s, and today’s Rose City Awning & Flag logo was drawn in 2014.
Who owns Rose City Awning & Flag?
Steve Marcy, the guest on this first episode of Oregon Made Today. He runs the shop and leads the crew that designs, sews, welds and installs each awning.
Does Rose City Awning make its own awnings?
Yes. Fabric covers are cut and sewn in the NW Portland shop, aluminum frames are welded in-house, and logos and lettering are applied on the shop’s own graphics machine.
Keep reading
All journal postsCanvas vs. Acrylic Awning Fabric: What a Custom Awning Is Made Of
People still say “canvas awning,” but most custom awnings are solution-dyed acrylic awning fabric. What that means for color, wear and cleaning, and how we choose it.
Types of Awnings: Retractable vs. Fixed vs. Metal, Compared for Portland
Retractable, fixed fabric, metal or freestanding: the four types of awnings compared on rain, wind, upkeep and looks, with a side-by-side table for Portland homes.
How to Clean an Awning: Fabric, Mildew and Winter Care in Portland
Brush, hose, mild soap, rinse, air-dry. The fabric maker’s method for cleaning an awning, the mix that lifts mildew, and how to get one ready for a Portland winter.
