I talk to A LOT of people in my job from all over the world, but mostly in the United States. It seems that everyone is “waiting”. Yet, many of us are asking the question, “…for what?” Are we waiting for a talking head to appear on the TV one night and say “It is OK to now go and spend your money”? Are we waiting for someone to tell us that it WILL get better? Are we waiting for the stock market to bottom out at some mythical number that most of us really don’t know the meaning of anyway?

Here’s some food for thought. Your home is likely the biggest investment you have. And unless you live somewhere that is immune to the current state of things, selling a house right now is an undertaking in patience similar to watching water boil. So why not go for it, and put some of your money into your home, your investment, where you know it will eventually pay for itself? At the end of these tough times, you’ll have lived on a new floor, enjoyed cooking on a new countertop, organized the kitchen in new cabinets, or maybe just relaxed with a fine glass of red wine over a handsome new coffee table. The durability of reclaimed wood will surely outlast the current economic trends – and Pioneer Millworks can supply it any form you wish.

Beyond your home though, when making a purchase, now is the critical time to really think about where that product is coming from. The global economy we live in has had many effects on the earth’s population, from the spread of disease to the expansion of wealth, from increasing trade deficits to shrinking domestic employment….the list goes on and on. But it can get a little ridiculous too – I was quite surprised recently to notice that a simple can of mushrooms in the local supermarket was made in China. Mushrooms. A staple of my pantry, and I had to do some digging to find a brand made in the US, where I know mushrooms grow, because we’ve reclaimed wood from those farms before! For the additional $.20 per can, I can spend the extra money to support our domestic workforce and ensure that my children are eating something better for them. I encourage you to think in the same manner – about how much your job relies on other having theirs, and how we can all help eachother turn the ship around. When you buy flooring that was harvested in one country, shipped to another for processing, and then shipped across another ocean to a distributor, and then on to your local mega-mart home improvement store, it does nothing to support regional and local manufacturing jobs, and you end up with a lesser quality product in the end. Perhaps everything we buy can’t be put under the microscope – but when you’re about to make a big purchase, thats the best time to sit back for a minute and look at what the real trickle-down effect will be to the planet, the economy, and – YOU.

Buy local. Think for the earth. Support your neighbors. Stay in touch.

– Jered