All-American home
Condron constructs house almost exclusively of materials made in U.S.
Spokane homebuilder Corey Condron set out to make a statement about patriotism in his latest project, a house constructed almost exclusively of American-made materials.
Condron, the owner of Condron Homes, put the final touches on the house in the Eagle Ridge neighborhood this week.
The product is the first of its kind in Spokane, he said. While homebuilders typically buy large portions of their materials overseas for lower prices, Condron paid 1.2 percent more than he normally would in an effort to stick to a rigid principle of using American-made products.
It’s part of a growing trend around the country. Similar projects took off after ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer reported on Montana homebuilder Anders Lewendal’s home in her “Made in America” series on American manufacturing and the economy.
“It was just an experiment,” Lewendal said. “The idea is just to pay attention and spend more on American products when it makes sense.”
Condron’s goal is to support domestic manufacturing jobs, and he is proud of the outcome.
“I’d say we’re 99.5 percent American-made,” he said. “As we went through the project, we found pieces and parts that, frankly, you can’t find made in America.”
When Condron couldn’t get his hands on appliances and supplies from the U.S., he sought out products that at least are assembled in the U.S. He used porcelain light sockets from China, shelving support brackets from overseas and some steel, lumber and rebar from Canada.
“I couldn’t even find an American-assembled microwave,” Condron said.
But just about everything else in the house comes from the U.S., he said.
Lewendal and Condron inspired Kennewick homebuilder Aaron Sullivan to follow suit. Normally, builders obtain about half of their materials from overseas, Sullivan said. But his nearly-finished house is built with about 98 to 99 percent American materials, he said.
The Eagle Ridge house sold Thursday morning to a military veteran who liked the house for its American-made theme, Condron said.
The project was an edifying experience, shedding light on the struggle the U.S. faces in the global manufacturing market, Condron said.
It also marks a change for Condron Homes going forward. He now gives his customers a chance to request homes made almost entirely of American products.