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St. Johnsbury, Vermont - February 4, 2011

David Allard still smiles showing off the company he built from the ground up.

"I never thought I was going to be this big," he said. "But I knew I was going to work for myself, and I figured out a way to make it happen."

Lyndon Furniture happened thanks to Allard's high school building trades program. That's where he got the woodworking bug. Allard then started putting together a small shop on his family's farm in Lyndon. More than 30 years later, Lyndon Furniture is now one of Vermont's top names in home furnishings.

"Cheap is cheap. Quality is quality. We're definitely medium to higher quality and we can offer reasonable prices for being here in Vermont and having a good work force," Allard said.

The businessman says in an industry where foreign imports often tempt buyers with lower prices, there's a growing wave of pro-American purchasing. After some slow years in the recession, sales are bouncing back.

In 2011 alone, Lyndon Furniture is introducing more than 20 new collections. Casting a wide net is key.

One boardroom-style table that can seat more than a dozen students is sold to schools. Hundreds of them are in classrooms in this country and in far-off places like Japan and the United Arab Emirates.

Reporter Jack Thurston: So you see that as a big area for growth?

David Allard: Some. More schools want to do teaching around the big table.

Sixty workers at the company's three Northeast Kingdom plants produce furniture for homes and custom design jobs like offices or resorts. In one key category, Lyndon moves about 200 casual dining tables a week.

"It's passion driven," product designer Shawn Straffin said.

Straffin is in charge of product development. His transformer-style entertainment console can hide away the new flat-screen TVs.

Jack Thurston: This product would not have existed six years ago.

Shawn Straffin: Absolutely not.

Thurston: So, Lyndon really stays fresh with the times?

Straffin: We do.

But the challenge is selling to such a diverse country. A sleek contemporary look may fit a Los Angeles loft apartment, but a homeowner in Vermont may want a more traditional look. Retail accounts sell Lyndon furniture across most of the nation.

"You really have to look at the area, look at what's trending in the area, look at the people in the area," Straffin said. "It's like anything else; it's regional. It's very personal."

Jack Thurston: All this furniture is going all over the country, all over the world. And it's all "Made in Vermont."

David Allard: Yes!

Thurston: You must be very proud of that.

Allard: Yeah, it is neat. I'm proud of my employees. It's people here, it's jobs here. It's income for people in the Northeast Kingdom. We have a really good crew creating new products, bringing dollars back to the state and people here.

Lyndon Furniture is one of the state's many furniture makers keeping this solid Vermont tradition vibrant.

Click here to visit the company's website.

Jack Thurston - WCAX News