I was particularly drawn to one that was about 12 feet high featuring classical ladies standing in a fountain, which appeared to be supported by eight cherubs blowing into goat horns, each cherub with a large fish slung over his or her shoulders.

This was lawn art for the high-end market. Very high end, as the statue was $17,000, and the homeowner would have to care for the bronze piece, or at least pay to have someone to care for it.

Another exhibitor caught my eye, though its booth had little more than a poster and some handouts. But it’s presence was possibly more monumental than the bronze Four Seasons. This presenter was SourceChina (www.source-china.com), which bills itself as a Real Estate Developer’s Sourcing Solution.

It is the subtle face of globalization. The California-based rep (I am sorry, I have misplaced her name and I am no longer in the South Hall and I am not going to trot back there and risk missing the bus) told me that their services are the procurement of construction materials and goods from China sent directly to builders in the U.S. Savings on items would generally run about 30-40%, depending on the material and the volume (note: this figure is not an official SourceChina claim).

I asked if they ran into any “Buy American” resistance. The rep said once a potential buyer sees the savings, any such resistance evaporates. Besides, she pointed out, waving her arm to include the exhibitors around her, about 80% of the things they are selling are made in China anyway. SourceChina just eliminates all those middleman, American middlemen.

Rebar, steel, granite, tile, slate, plumbing fixtures, wood flooring, furniture, cement, and windows are some of the products they offer. Their reps work with Chinese manufacturers, placing orders for U.S. builders.

Potential customers need to be doing 50 houses a year at least and be able to give SourceChina some good lead time on orders. It’s not a service for a builder who needs to change options frequently or quickly. While I was hanging around, a Canadian condo builder expressed interest. He was miffed by the variation in cost of steel within even the same geographic regions. He took a handout and had the rep swipe his card for more information and future contact.