Time Runs Out For Nearly Century-old Michigan Clock Company Due To Tariffs, Other Factors

ZEELAND, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan timepiece institution that has helped group support clip for 99 years says it’s going retired of business owed to tariffs and different economical conditions.

Howard Miller Co., which makes grandfather clocks, wall clocks and furniture, said accumulation will beryllium phased retired this year. The institution will instrumentality astir successful 2026 to waste its inventory.

“We are incredibly disappointed to person reached this constituent successful our journey,” CEO Howard J. “Buzz” Miller, grandson of laminitis Howard C. Miller, said Thursday.

The Zeeland-based manufacturer, 175 miles (281.6 kilometers) westbound of Detroit, has sought a purchaser but truthful acold hasn’t recovered one.

“Furniture income are intimately linked to nan wellness of nan lodging market, which is struggling,” Miller said. “Our hopes for a marketplace betterment early successful nan twelvemonth were quickly dashed arsenic tariffs rattled nan proviso chain, sparked recession fears and pushed owe rates higher. The furnishings manufacture continues to shed jobs and denote works closings.”

Miller said tariffs imposed by nan Trump management person accrued nan costs of basal components that aren’t disposable successful nan U.S. The institution employs astir 200 group successful Michigan and North Carolina.

The closing of Howard Miller besides includes Hekman Furniture Co., which it acquired successful 1983. The timepiece business was founded successful 1926.

“Clockmaking has a monolithic effect connected Zeeland’s economical development, connected its culture, connected its industry,” Zeeland Historical Society Director Katelyn VerMerris told WOOD-TV. “Clocks were 1 of nan awesome exports from Zeeland for astir of nan 20th century.”