The scenery is reminiscent of Switzerland. Twenty four thousand foot glaciers grace majestic, snow-filled mountain peaks. Green valleys are replete with crystal clear water, the purity of which is nearly unrivaled, flowing from one of the world's largest alpine lakes. The sun shines in the Central Asian country of Kyrgystan an average of 360 days a year, and the climate is likened to Northern California in areas where most of the country's residents dwell. What more could a country like this want, you may ask? How about new homes?

A delegation from the Kyrgyz Republic of Central Asia recently visited the Northern California area to look at American methods of new home construction. Escorted by Michaela Mattox, emissary of commerce in the U.S. to the tiny Republic of Kyrgystan, the visitors spent an entire day touring some new home communities in the Sacramento area.

Independent since 1991, Kyrgystan is almost as large as the state of Nevada, with a population of 4.8 million people. Formerly a part of the Soviet Union, it is located along the well-traveled and land-locked routes of Marco Polo, on the Chinese border, in the very heart of Central Asia. Kyrgystan was one of the first NIS (Newly Independent States) to begin privatizing following the breakup of the Soviet Bloc. It was also the first to create its own currency, and initiate a fully democratic form of government - with term limits, no less!

A Modern Kyrguz house under constuction with cement block and title roof. Cost is aproximatley $200,000 US Dollars.

Kyrgyz representatives included executives of the nation's largest free enterprise firm, the Eridan Corporation. On a mission to gain insight into cost-effective and time-saving ways to build new homes for the country's emerging middle class, the visitors started their tour meeting with the division president of a large publicly held builder, U.S, Home Corporation. "What you in the U.S. have taken 200 years to accomplish in new home construction, we want to achieve in just a few," joked Talgat Chinetov, head of Eridan's International department, to Sherman Haggerty, Sacramento area executive with U.S. Home. Eridan Bank was represented, as was the respective heads of construction and advertising for Eridan. One member of the delegation, Kemel Djumagulov, is also a doctor in Kyrgystan (earning about $400 to $600 per month) and was fascinated by the concept of new home "communities".

Eager to see new home construction on a big scale, the group was taken to a new home subdivision where the homes were in various stages of construction, making it easier to see a "work in progress" , American style. Although concrete slab construction is not a novelty to this group, drywall is a completely new concept. From fully assembled trusses to anchor bolts, to fiberglass insulation tucked into fully framed walls, the men gazed in wonder at American technology and advancement. A shriek of surprise was emitted when a construction superintendent used a hook to pull electrical wiring through insulation at several locations during this demonstration. Homes currently built in countries like Kyrgystan are made of 18-inch thick concrete block, with brick lining both the inside and outside walls, and are covered with plaster. Flooring and many interior walls are veneered with marble and granite, and construction of homes can take up to a year. They are also priced severely out of range for the average Kyrgyz citizen, who earns around $300 per month.

Most residents of this new democracy live in high-rise Soviet-style flats, with families cramped into small living quarters, and no real sense of ownership. Eridan Corporation would like to begin building small home subdivisions full of single family homes, 1,000 to 1,500 square feet, with a price tag in the $60,000 to $100,000 range to start. With generous business incentives and virtually trade-free zones, and many residents eager to pay cash for new homes, Kyrgystan is becoming of interest to foreign investors. Some of the first American firms to offer lines of credit to the newly formed republic are World Carpet of Georgia, Sonocal, in South Dakota, and Sierra Pine, lumber supplier. Mattox's job is to encourage and promote investment from American industry, touting the country's favorable climate for business.

One of the most memorable moments from the new home tour was the question posed by the group after they took turns knocking on a sheet rocked wall. "How effective is this in comparison to concrete for stopping bullets?" Not an unusual question coming from a people who were ruled by a communist regime for 70-odd years up until just a few years ago.

The foreigners were also fascinated with a tradesman installing a stair banister with an airgun, efficiently spitting out nails and staples to put spindles in place for a home's elegant staircase. They had never seen a device that saved so much time and was so powerful for its size. Equally impressive was a climb up to the crawl space of a new home, where the furnace was located. Central heating systems are unheard of in many parts of the world (air conditioning is also not common). Heat is supplied by water-filled radiators, and forced air units seem almost futuristic.

What stands out in sharp contrast to 250 years of American innovation is the idea of introducing such technology to a country with a 3,000 year-old history, where, even in the past hundred years, nomadic tribes set up round tents, called "yurts" as they roamed the countryside. The likeness of this uniquely Kyrgyz dwelling now graces the country's newly created flag, not forgetting the legacy and long history of this small area of central Asia.

The executives from Eridan in Kyrgystan came away from their tour with a newly found sense of excitement for the future of residential building in their homeland, believing without a doubt that it is possible to provide modest, modern, and affordable homes for the average Kyrgyz citizen. Making that dream come true, however, may rest in our hands, with the offer of American know-how and friendship.