I never imagined I’d be writing about tariff policy, much less how it rocks the boat of the business I’ve poured my life into. But I am, because not offering this particular perspective would mean pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. The truth is, the recent tariffs are breaking small designers and manufacturers like mine, right here in Oklahoma City.
I run Walrus Audio, where we design, assemble, test, pack and ship gear used by musicians worldwide. The best folks you’ll ever meet, and I have built something I’m deeply proud of with 60 full-time employees, split between Oklahoma and Texas. We’re generous with benefits, including health, dental, vision, PTO and matching 401(k) contributions. These aren’t gig jobs or temporary contracts. These are careers that support real families.
I have always worked hard to keep as much of our production in the U.S. as possible, but the components we need aren’t made here anymore and haven’t been for decades. We’re talking about highly specialized electronic parts that no American factory produces at the quality, scale or price a small business can sustain. Without them, our American-made products cannot exist…