"Julie Robbins and her team at EarthQuaker Devices have made guitar pedals for some of the biggest names in the world of music. The Smashing Pumpkins, Radiohead, PJ Harvey and others have sought out the company's bespoke, handmade pedals for their unique sounds and designs. Its most popular model, Plumes, has sold over 67,000 devices. Their made-from-scratch effects petals use more than 1,000 components, many which are imported directly from countries such as China and Vietnam."
"But almost a year into the Trump administration's tariffs regime, business for the company, headquartered in Akron, Ohio, is not looking good. The tariffs are adding up to 30% to our costs. I would have at least a couple of new positions open now if it weren't for the tariffs, says Robbins. So far, the company has eaten 100% of that extra cost, but now that's no longer financially feasible."
EarthQuaker Devices, based in Akron, Ohio, produces handmade guitar pedals used by major artists and has sold over 67,000 units of its Plumes model. The pedals rely on more than 1,000 components, many imported from China and Vietnam or obtained from firms that import them. Tariffs implemented under the Trump administration have increased input costs by as much as 30 percent, which the company initially absorbed. Those added costs have made planned hiring unaffordable and unsustainable. The tariffs have failed to reshore production and are exacerbating economic strain and job losses across the Cleveland–Youngstown–Akron region.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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