When Americans buy American-made products, everyone benefits, from the workers who make the product to the retailer who sells it. And the buyer can be confident that American skills and craftsmanship are behind the item they’ve purchased, and that they’ve helped create and/or preserve the job of a fellow citizen.

Importers claim their goods are less expensive, an argument meant to create a “me first” attitude of saving a penny at the expense of another’s job. But, a residential contractor in Montana is proving that buying American is a smart economic and business decision, regardless of the product.

Bozeman-based Anders Lewendal Construction has received national attention for its effort to build a home using only U.S.-made products. With a degree in economics and an extensive background in construction, company owner Anders Lewendal estimates that if every builder bought just 5 percent more U.S.-made materials, more than 220,000 jobs would be created.

During construction Lewendal made use of 120 products that come from more than 30 states.

While some of the domestically produced items are more expensive than comparable imports, Lewendal said that his all-American home will cost only 1 to 2 percent more than one using foreign-sourced products. Also, many of the domestic products are higher quality than their imported counterparts, which are routinely manufactured in unsafe environments by ill-trained workers making sweatshop wages.