“All our orders for future products were canceled”
Candy’s family-owned wood stove business, which she and her husband started 25 years ago, had weathered tough times like the Great Recession and COVID without ever laying off employees. But when Trump imposed steep tariffs on iron, steel, and goods from China, Candy’s business was blindsided, losing money on pre-sold inventory and being forced to lay off their outside sales reps for the first time. She, her husband, and their son worked to keep things going, but price hikes, canceled orders, and supply chain delays have put the future of the business, and her capacity to pass it on to her son, in serious doubt.