Robert Lenney owns the Gutter Glove company, which is based in Rocklin.  His debris-filtering gutters have been made in China for the last five years.  But when the Army Corps of Engineers expressed interest in his product, he had to give American companies a second chance.

LENNEY:  "I needed to make sure I qualified to the Buy American Act. And, so, it needed to be made in the USA. And, so, that got me to start searching out, well what parts manufacturers am I going to need  in the U.S. in order to qualify."

He says he was surprised to find parts and material suppliers in Southern California that fit the bill.  He is now buying three-quarters of his supplies here in the state and three quarters of his assembly operation is now in Rocklin. 

He expects to hire 65 people there by the end of next year.