Learn what building materials are imported or made right here in the United States.
Do You Know Where Your Building Materials Are Actually Made?
Published on Dec. 19, 2024
Choosing materials is one of the first—and most important—steps in any DIY home project. Whether it’s framing lumber, tile or flooring, each material has a unique journey from production to your local store or lumberyard. Understanding where these materials are sourced and manufactured can help you make more informed decisions when selecting your supplies.
In this guide, we’ll explore where popular building materials are made—whether they come from domestic manufacturers or are imported from abroad.
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Who Makes Lumber?
Most lumber products used in the U.S. are harvested and manufactured in the U.S. and Canada. This includes softwood products like framing lumber and plywood, as well as hardwood products like trim and flooring. Weyerhaeuser, located in Seattle, Washington, harvests and mills the majority of U.S. lumber supplied to distributors. Georgia-Pacific, a subsidiary of Koch Industries, is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is another major player throughout the South.
Canadian lumber makes up roughly 50 percent of all U.S. lumber imports, with most originating from British Columbia on Canada’s west coast.
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Who Makes Drywall?
Drywall products used in the U.S. are made of gypsum, a mined mineral product. The U.S. is the world’s largest gypsum producer, and most of our finished gypsum products, like drywall, are made here. The largest manufacturers are United States Gypsum (USG) Corporation in Chicago, Illinois, and National Gypsum Company in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The U.S. also imports about 18 percent of total gypsum used from Mexico, Canada and Spain. Approximately 20 percent of all finished drywall products used in the U.S. are imported from Canada, usually to states along the border.
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Who Makes Bagged Concrete?
Bagged concrete is expensive to transport due to its weight, so most of it is produced in American production plants scattered throughout the country. The largest bagged concrete manufacturer is Quikrete, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. Sakrete is the second-largest manufacturer, located in Overland Park, Kansas. Sakrete is owned by OldCastle APG, a subsidiary of global masonry supply corporation CRH, based in Ireland.
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Who Makes Medium-Density Fiberboard?
Most Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) is produced in the U.S., with some imports coming primarily from Canada and Chile. Georgia-Pacific and Weyerhaeuser, leading lumber producers, are also the leading sources of (MDF) used in cabinets, shelving and furniture.
Arauco, part of the Copec Group, a large global company based in Chile, has some manufacturing plants in North America and exports some MDF from their plants in Chile to the U.S.
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Who Makes Tile?
In 2023, the U.S. imported 71 percent of the total tile supply. India was the largest importer, followed by Spain and Mexico. Luxury, high-end tiles were most often imported from Italy and Spain.
Domestic tile production in the U.S. is led by Mohawk Industries, which manufactures popular brands like Olean and Daltile. According to Melissa Stocks of Mohawk Industries, Mohawk produces ceramic tile across several key locations in the country, including Dallas, Sunnyvale and El Paso, Texas; Muskogee, Oklahoma; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Dickson, Tennessee; as well as Florence and Fayette, Alabama.
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Who Makes Vinyl Flooring?
In 2022, 52 percent of all vinyl flooring used in the U.S. was imported, up from 30 percent in 2012. Almost all luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is imported, at 80 percent in 2022. China is the leading importer to the U.S. despite higher tariffs and supply chain issues. Mexico is another large importer, with its close proximity to U.S. markets and low manufacturing costs.
Top U.S. manufacturers include Shaw Industries, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, with 30 percent of the total vinyl and resilient flooring market, and Mohawk Industries, both centered in Dalton, Georgia.
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Who Makes Pavers?
Domestic concrete paver production is led by OldCastle APG, based in Atlanta, Georgia, which offers its products under the Belgard brand. Unilock Pavers in Aurora, Illinois is another major producer offering concrete and stone pavers. Techo-Bloc Pavers is a Canadian company with a large presence in U.S. markets and a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.
About 45 percent of concrete pavers sold in the U.S. are imported, with the bulk coming from China and Mexico. High-end stone pavers used in luxury projects are often imported from Italy, Spain, Germany and Brazil.
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Who Makes Hardwood Flooring?
Domestic production of hardwood flooring in the U.S. relies on a variety of native trees, including oak, maple, hickory and walnut. U.S.-based production is led by AHF Products, which manufactures hardwood flooring in Beverly, West Virginia; West Plains, Missouri; and Warren, Arkansas. Other major domestic hardwood flooring producers include Shaw Industries, based in Dalton, Georgia, and Armstrong Flooring, headquartered in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
When it comes to exotic hardwoods, popular species like ipe, tigerwood, and other Brazilian hardwoods are primarily imported from Brazil. Teak, a sought-after wood for outdoor furniture, and mahogany are typically sourced from Indonesia and Thailand.
About the Expert
Melissa Stocks is Director of Public Relations and Communications at Mohawk Industries.
Sources
- United States Geological Survey Gypsum Report (2023)
- Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC) Wood Products in United States Report (2022)
- Tile Council of North America U.S. Ceramic Tile Market Update (2023)
- Floor Covering Weekly US Floor Coverings Imports Report (2022)
- Floor Focus. Annual Report: Market Share by Category (2024)
