HENDERSON (KTNV) — Small business owners in Henderson say rising prices, tariffs, and oil spikes are hitting them hard, forcing them to pass costs onto consumers.
Business owners brought their concerns directly to Congresswoman Dina Titus and State Treasurer Zach Conine during a small business roundtable in Henderson Wednesday.
WATCH | Henderson small businesses struggle with rising prices and tariffs
Conine shared that he sent a bill to the Trump Administration for $2.1 billion regarding this issue, saying he requested the money after the original tariffs were deemed illegal. Conine said that he was pushing to get the money back out to businesses in need of it.
"As Nevada’s chief investment officer, I have a responsibility to try to recoup every single dollar that the Trump Administration takes from Nevada families.” — Zach Conine
Janie Sandberg, the franchise owner of Floor Coverings International in Henderson, has been open for three years. She said she receives notifications about price increases from suppliers almost every month.
"There’s been a price increase on materials and it’s been sort of nebulous over the last 18 months or so," Sandberg said.
Sandberg said the biggest price changes come from tariffs and the recent oil price spike from the war in Iran.
"Carpet is made from petroleum byproducts, so as the cost of oil has gone up and as the stability of the oil has gone up, prices have increased," Sandberg said/
Local News
Tariff confusion impacts local businesses
Sandberg noted wholesale carpet prices have seen about a 10 to 15% increase, which then falls on the consumer.
"Almost instantaneously it was a price jump," Sandberg said.
Sandberg said tariffs also impact products manufactured domestically.
"I think consumers have this conception that if it’s made in the U.S.A that’s great, there’s no tariffs, there are no fees, well they have to import different materials and different components to make this flooring," Sandberg said.
Kristen Corral, owner of Tacotarian, also attended the roundtable. Corral said some manufacturers expect more orders than a small business can maintain.
"We have to make manufacturing accessible for small businesses which right now it is absolutely not," Corral said.
Sandberg feels the middle class and small businesses take the brunt of the rising costs. Consumers agree that local shops are feeling the pressure.
"I think they suffer the most in this economy… so it’s important to keep their business running," Mariah Paisano said.
The business owners said they just want structure and predictable prices to return.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
