Kohler Awning has been manufacturing custom tailored awnings and shading products to residential & commercial customers throughout Western New York and Rochester for over 100 years.
Kohler Awning is your source for custom awnings and shading products. We provide the highest quality services and design innovations in the industry. In doing so, we have grown to be the area’s largest awning provider.
Kohler Awning has been manufacturing custom tailored awnings and shading products to residential & commercial customers throughout Western New York and Rochester for over 100 years.
Kohler Awning is your source for custom awnings and shading products. We provide the highest quality services and design innovations in the industry. In doing so, we have grown to be the area’s largest awning provider.
In 1925, John and Catherine Kohler opened shop from their Buffalo home on Masten Avenue. John handling production and installs, Catherine running the office and sewing. Buffalo was booming and like fellow startups New Era Cap and Rich Products, the Kohlers were building a business destined to last. Their striped and solid canvas awnings became a staple of porches and store fronts across the city.
Through the Great Depression, the Kohlers endured by focusing on quality, service and adaptability. Their daughter Charlotte took over office duties so Catherine could sew, while son John Jr. became an installer. By the late 1930s, Kohler Awning had multiple trucks and a reputation for quality.
When disaster struck in 1931, with a massive fire at the nearby Masten Avenue Armory, John Sr. famously stood on his roof with a garden hose to save the family home and shop. That grit would carry the company through World War II, as John Jr. left to serve in the U.S. Air Force, flying over 30 missions in Germany and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. At home, the Kohlers expanded to eight employees by the war’s end.
Post-war prosperity fueled big growth at Kohler Awning. By the 1950s, grandson Jack joined the team, and in 1963 the company officially incorporated – three generations working side by side. A year later, they moved into a new 4,600-square-foot facility on Kenmore Avenue, expanded again in 1968, and introduced durable vinyl awnings that quickly became customer favorites.
By the 1970s, Kohler awnings were everywhere on porches, storefronts, and even the big screen in the films Hidden in Plain Sight and The Natural. In 1984, the company moved again, this time to a 12,000-square-foot Cheektowaga facility where innovation took off. There, they created Buffalo’s first-ever backlit awning, a game-changer blending style and shelter that would transform store fronts across the region.
Just as their awnings lit up Buffalo streets, their new jingle hit the airwaves.
Booming demand in the 90s pushed Kohler Awning into bold expansion. They acquired Buffalo Awning & Tent in the early 90s, Canvas World in 2000, and Awnings Plus in 2013 cementing their place as the region’s largest awning company. Innovation kept pace with growth: aluminum awnings launched in 2002, computerized fabric cutting streamlined production, and advanced graphics opened new creative possibilities all while preserving the hand-sewn craftsmanship that defined the brand.
When the October storm of 2006 destroyed hundreds of awnings, the Kohler team worked nonstop to restore homes and businesses by spring, proving their commitment to the community. By 2016, their Walden Avenue facility had expanded 2,000 square feet with 70 employees at peak season, serving everyone from neighborhood porches to major names like Dunkin Donuts, Delta Sonic, and Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.
Over the decades, Kohler Awning has gained more than loyal customers it has become part of Western New York’s story. In 2015, the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce named it Small Business of the Year, honoring not just the Kohler family but the hardworking team that makes it all possible.
Kohler’s impact reaches far beyond shade. Their designs transform architecture and light up streetscapes. Kohler Awning has become a symbol.
Now in its fifth generation, Kohler Awning is led by Jesse Kohler as president, Matt Kohler as vice president, and the next generation – Zach, and Neil stepping in to carry the legacy forward. Having endured the Great Depression, World War II, the 2006 storm, and even COVID-19, the company stands strong on the same values that built it: craftsmanship, service, and family. With a century of experience and 70+ dedicated employees, Kohler Awning is still making sure that you’ll have it made in the shade.
In 1925, John and Catherine Kohler opened shop from their Buffalo home on Masten Avenue. John handling production and installs, Catherine running the office and sewing. Buffalo was booming and like fellow startups New Era Cap and Rich Products, the Kohlers were building a business destined to last. Their striped and solid canvas awnings became a staple of porches and store fronts across the city.
Through the Great Depression, the Kohlers endured by focusing on quality, service and adaptability. Their daughter Charlotte took over office duties so Catherine could sew, while son John Jr. became an installer. By the late 1930s, Kohler Awning had multiple trucks and a reputation for quality.
When disaster struck in 1931, with a massive fire at the nearby Masten Avenue Armory, John Sr. famously stood on his roof with a garden hose to save the family home and shop. That grit would carry the company through World War II, as John Jr. left to serve in the U.S. Air Force, flying over 30 missions in Germany and earning the Distinguished Flying Cross. At home, the Kohlers expanded to eight employees by the war’s end.
Post-war prosperity fueled big growth at Kohler Awning. By the 1950s, grandson Jack joined the team, and in 1963 the company officially incorporated – three generations working side by side. A year later, they moved into a new 4,600-square-foot facility on Kenmore Avenue, expanded again in 1968, and introduced durable vinyl awnings that quickly became customer favorites.
By the 1970s, Kohler awnings were everywhere on porches, storefronts, and even the big screen in the films Hidden in Plain Sight and The Natural. In 1984, the company moved again, this time to a 12,000-square-foot Cheektowaga facility where innovation took off. There, they created Buffalo’s first-ever backlit awning, a game-changer blending style and shelter that would transform store fronts across the region.
Just as their awnings lit up Buffalo streets, their new jingle hit the airwaves.
Booming demand in the 90s pushed Kohler Awning into bold expansion. They acquired Buffalo Awning & Tent in the early 90s, Canvas World in 2000, and Awnings Plus in 2013 cementing their place as the region’s largest awning company. Innovation kept pace with growth: aluminum awnings launched in 2002, computerized fabric cutting streamlined production, and advanced graphics opened new creative possibilities all while preserving the hand-sewn craftsmanship that defined the brand.
When the October storm of 2006 destroyed hundreds of awnings, the Kohler team worked nonstop to restore homes and businesses by spring, proving their commitment to the community. By 2016, their Walden Avenue facility had expanded 2,000 square feet with 70 employees at peak season, serving everyone from neighborhood porches to major names like Dunkin Donuts, Delta Sonic, and Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.
Over the decades, Kohler Awning has gained more than loyal customers it has become part of Western New York’s story. In 2015, the Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce named it Small Business of the Year, honoring not just the Kohler family but the hardworking team that makes it all possible.
Kohler’s impact reaches far beyond shade. Their designs transform architecture and light up streetscapes. Kohler Awning has become a symbol.
Now in its fifth generation, Kohler Awning is led by Jesse Kohler as president, Matt Kohler as vice president, and the next generation – Zach, and Neil stepping in to carry the legacy forward. Having endured the Great Depression, World War II, the 2006 storm, and even COVID-19, the company stands strong on the same values that built it: craftsmanship, service, and family. With a century of experience and 70+ dedicated employees, Kohler Awning is still making sure that you’ll have it made in the shade.
