A 100-year-old furniture manufacturer in western Michigan has shut its doors, citing President Donald Trump’s tariffs as the final blow. The company, Howard Miller, employed 195 people.
“In recent years, a convergence of market influences beyond our control brought us to this point. Furniture sales are closely linked to the health of the housing market, which is struggling,” the company’s CEO, Howard J. “Buzz” Miller, said in a statement announcing the closing of his Zeeland-based company. “Our hopes for a market recovery early in the year were quickly dashed as tariffs rattled the supply chain, sparked recession fears and pushed mortgage rates higher. The furniture industry continues to shed jobs and announce plant closings.”
Miller added: “This has been compounded by inflation and rising interest rates. Our business has been directly impacted by tariffs that have increased the cost of essential components unavailable domestically and driven specialty suppliers out of business, making it unsustainable for us to continue our operations.”
Yes, the company was already facing headwinds, but Trump’s tariffs and the broader chaos of his economic policies drove the stake through its heart.
The punchline, though not in a funny way, is that Ottawa County, Michigan, home to the company, voted 60–39 for Trump. Zeeland, where the company is based, sits in Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, which backed Republican Rep. Bill Huizenga by a 65–33 margin.
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Asked in March by reporters about the local economic pain his party’s policies might inflict, Huizenga said, “Is there going to be some adjustments to that? Absolutely. Is it going to be easy? Not necessarily. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely it is.”
So, all good, Zeeland! This is just an “adjustment.” And if you’re looking for a social safety net to cushion the blow, don’t look to Huizenga—he proudly voted for Trump’s billionaire-rewarding “One Big, Beautiful Tax Bill.”
Voting has consequences.