Montana Builder Uses Only American-Made Materials, Boosts Economy

BOZEMAN, MT - December 13, 2011 - In October, ABC News’ David Muir traveled to Bozeman, Montana to investigate a patriotic initiative gathering steam, or, as Diane Sawyer aptly put it, “a kind of road map to creating a quarter of a million jobs.”

An economist turned builder, Anders Lewendal, is building an entire home made with only American-made materials and says that other builders should, too. 

“Every nail, every screw, every piece of tape,” said Lewendal in the news clip. In total, there are more than 120 products from more than 33 states. 

Lewendal claimed that if every builder bought only 5% more American-made building products, it would create 220,000 jobs. Economists interviewed by ABC asserted that his estimate is true. 

Although certain goods were more expensive as compared to their foreign counterpart, in total, the cost of the American-made house is almost identical. Although the house is not yet finished, Lewendal estimated that the cost is only 1-2% more than a house built with foreign materials. 

“Made in America” is a platform launched by ABC that aims to promote the purchase of American goods. 

During the holiday season, the network is featuring “Made in America Christmas”, which challenges Americans to purchase gifts that were made within our borders. Stories, news clips and graphics on the ABC News Web site provide helpful goods listings, and highlight situations across the globe in which the Made in America Christmas effort has already created more jobs. 

You can locate Anders Lewendal’s list of American-made building materials here, and visit ABC’s Made in America home page to find out more about the effort.