Michigan has a long barrel history. Its woods provided the material for barrel construction for almost a century. Unfortunately, this resulted in the loss of much old growth forest across “the mitten” part of the state.

The Besser family moved to Michigan from Buffalo in the 19th century, where they began as loggers for this barrel industry. Once all the trees were almost cut down, they saw the end of this industry coming. They changed their focus and began inventing and manufacturing machines to produce concrete block, because they realized that in the ground under the (former) forest was the raw material for block production.

Today Besser is the world’s largest manufacturer of concrete block machines, they are in over 90 countries around the globe.

Michigan went from barrels to block, and both are in tiny houses…