Inn This Together: Episode 2 Recap - "Turning Numbers into Dreams"

Watch the episode 2 recap here

As you will hear in The Heirloom Podcast, Episode 2 of Inn This Together on HGTV is a dream come true for me.

This week’s episode features the opening of the Scotsman USA Kitchen store. But for me, it represents something much bigger than a retail space: it represents a decade of hard work and the belief that small-town American manufacturing still matters.

One of the most meaningful moments in this entire process was watching the men and women from our factory walk into the store and see the products they build with their own hands displayed beautifully by Mallorie and her team. Seeing craftsmen stand quietly beside something they made — now sitting under perfect lights on finished shelves in a beautiful store — is absolutely incredible.

We started Laurel Mercantile in 2016 with very little experience and a lot of hope. In 2021, we took another leap and started Scotsman Manufacturing Company right here in Laurel, Mississippi.

The people in our factory are not just skilled makers — they are our neighbors. They are builders. Every day they take raw goods and turn them into something useful, lasting, and beautiful. Their work inspires me. Their consistency inspires me. Their willingness to keep building, even when things are difficult, inspires me to keep building too.

The older I get, the more I realize it’s not just what you build that matters — it’s who you build it with. The great joy of my life is getting to build alongside these people.

I hope America sees their work and loves it as much as I do.

Keep building,

Josh Nowell

If you want to hear more behind the scenes from Episode 2 — including how we started these companies, built the factory, and transformed this space — check out the latest episode of The Heirloom Podcast.

Special thanks to all of our sponsors: ROCKWOOL, Rockfon, Southern Pipe & Supply, Forte Opening Solutions, Viking Range, and Vaughan-Bassett Furniture.