Domestic Bliss

Have you heard about the All-American Home [2]? Anders Lewendal and his eponymous construction company [3] in Bozeman, MT, is building the first documented home to be built entirely of American-made products. And when they say “entirely,” they mean it — down to every nail and staple, foundation to rafter.

What began as a client preference for an eco-friendly home that incorporated fewer chemicals became almost a crusade for Lewendal to prove that an all-American home was not only possible, but financially plausible. The 2,000-square-foot home, which is scheduled to be ready for move-in within the next month or so, has an estimated final cost of about $400,000.

Lewendal, who also holds a degree in economics, estimates that if builders incorporated just 5 percent more American-made products in their projects than they currently use, it would create 200,000 more American jobs. Think of it as a grassroots stimulus package of sorts.

There’s certainly been far more attention paid to domestic goods lately, spurred in part by a “Made in America” [4] series that ABC News [5] produced. At this month’s High Point Market [6], the Suites at Market Square [7] building is even launching a Made in America Pavilion [8]. Lighting exhibitors within the pavilion will include Summit Lamp [9] and Sedgefield by Adams [10], which received some of that ABC News spotlight.

Since we have a significant Canadian audience, I always wonder how this sort of patriotic patronage plays with them. But this is a drumbeat that I expect will only get louder, particularly as the sound reverberates as a positive economic impact in our local markets.