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Kansas City, Missouri – With Independence Day and the 250th anniversary of the United States, a Missouri company is sewing history.
Kansas City-based Allied materials have been manufacturing since 1951. The company builds about 1,000 flags a day, and many are destined to be used for military funerals, government buildings and patriotic front porches nationwide.
“It's our Christmas,” said Tyler Young, president of Allied Materials. “We started preparing a few months in advance to build additional stocks because we knew it was the weekend when Americans were most enthusiastic about their patriotism.”
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The company is the largest vertically integrated flag manufacturer in the United States, producing more than 300,000 flags per year for federal agencies, including the U.S. Senate, Department of Defense and global military bases.
Workers solved one of the most difficult steps in the flag manufacturing process. (Olivianna Calmes)
“We make a flag that fits the federal government,” Young said. “That means every component is sourced in the United States – from cotton seeds to dyed fabrics. There is no cut corners, no lost costs. It's really the best flag you can put in your home.”
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Each flag starts with cotton or nylon grown in the United States, which is dyed and rolled into stripes. These were sewn in Kansas City and joined with embroidery star field produced by the company’s Louisiana factory. Check and trim each logo before the last touch: make them ready to fly metal grommets.
The “Pizza Cutter” machine cuts red cotton thread into stripes. (Olivianna Calmes)
“From the beginning to the end, that flag may only take a few hours,” Young said. “But its purpose lasted for a lifetime.”
For many Allied employees, this purpose is personal.
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“These guys really work hard,” said Terry Walker, a longtime machine technician. “Every fallen veteran will get one of these flags. It's an honor to work here.”
Freshly sewn American flags were quality checked on Allied materials. (Olivianna Calmes)
Seriousness is shared across the company, Young said. “The next time someone sees this flag, it may be draped in the veteran's coffin. It must be perfect. We owe that to that soldier and his family to honor their sacrifice.”
As the United States looks forward to its semi-memorial cycle in 2026, the Allies are preparing for the largest feast of flags in U.S. history.
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“We are now starting our marketing program and building inventory this fall,” Young said. “We want to prepare everyone – whether they are homeowners who want to fly the flag or government agencies that plan to hold the ceremony. We will be here.”
150 million flags sold annually – 94% of American-made (Olivianna Calmes)
According to STG Logistics, about 94% of the U.S. flags sold in the United States are made domestically, which is a pride for young people, especially as recent tariffs on imported goods have disrupted global supply chains.
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“When other suppliers are hit by tariffs, we are not,” he said. “Call our customers and say, 'Today, you are getting a call from a U.S. manufacturer that makes U.S. products from U.S. manufacturers.''
The red and white stripes of the American flag are professionally sewn together on Allied materials. (Olivianna Calmes)
Allied's flags range in size from two feet by three feet to fifteen by fifteen feet, each meeting federal standards for stitching, star shape and durability—whether it's heading to the front yard or the steps of the Capitol.
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“The flag is not only a product,” Young said. “It is a symbol of our country's history, but also a symbol of all people who belong to this country's structure.”
All images and information were captured during live visits to Allied Materials (a flag manufacturing plant located in Kansas City, Missouri).
