Wichita lumber and flooring companies prepare for tariffs

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Chris Maybrier, President of Harry Street Carpet, is speaking with his suppliers more and more as he prepares for tariffs to raise prices.

“I’ve seen memos anywhere from two to 20 percent and they’re still coming,” said Maybrier.

He’s working to figure out what will cost him more and what alternative products he has.

“Almost every piece of carpet made that we sell, is made here, is tufted here,” said Maybrier. “A lot of the counter top material is going to be affected. A lot of the tile industry, I’m going to say a larger part of that industry that comes from overseas, but there are vendors that’re here in the United States.”

Thomas Baalman, owner of B&B Lumber is no stranger to tariffs on Canadian wood. He’s been preparing for months in case additional tariffs came his way.

“Currently we’re paying anywhere from 15 to 20 percent on that lumber coming from Canada and they’re looking to raise it to about 25 to 40 percent depending on what mill it comes from,” said Baalman. “It also pushed me earlier in the year to buy a bunch of lumber to try and beat the tariff.”

B&B Lumber isn’t just facing tariffs on the lumber they sell though. Their steel and hardware products are also subject to the tariffs.

“Well, it doesn’t look pretty for the consumer going on down the road here because the price of the wood will continue to rise, unless there’s some kind of deal brokered between the two governments,” said Baalman. “Any additional tariff that would be put on top of what we already have would really be burdensome to the home owner and the home builder as we move forward.”

Maybrier says if consumers are concerned about the tariffs the best thing they can do is reach out to an industry expert for guidance.

“Our staff here is going to be prone to lead customers over to products where they don’t have to worry about the tariffs because truthfully for us to figure out what the actual pricing is is kind of a difficulty,” said Maybrier. “They’re going to be more than willing to show you the items that are going to be tariff free.”

Both Harry Street Carpet and B&B Lumber say they are continuing to talk with their suppliers to get the latest information on the tariffs.

Copyright 2025 KWCH. All rights reserved. To report a correction or typo, please email [email protected]