Tariff Turmoil in Kitchen, Bath and Design/Construction Sectors
Featured in “Tariff Turmoil in Kitchen, Bath and Design/Construction Sectors”:
Ted Acworth, CEO and founder of Artaic, shares with KBB his stance on the issue. “We’re seeing the current state of the industry as an opportunity to reinforce our long-term strategy of tech-enabled, U.S.-based manufacturing that ultimately benefits our clients. For 18 years now, we’ve been building U.S. design and production capability. Artaic designs and assembles mosaics in Boston, Massachusetts, from tile materials procured worldwide, and we ship our product worldwide.
“Since 2020, we have invested in domestic inventory, scaling warehouse space, building stock of in-demand color palettes, and developing a proprietary planning algorithm that enables us to anticipate material needs with accuracy. This has not only reduced lead times and waste, but also allowed us to grow cost-effective programs like Artaic’s Designs on Demand. It’s this blend of innovation, flexibility, and U.S. production that lets us meet evolving market conditions while staying true to our mission of making mosaic art more accessible.
“The majority of our mosaics are designed using our standard vitreous glass tile, warehoused right here in Boston. Rather than applying blanket price increases, we’re taking a project-by-project approach. For projects that require internationally sourced materials, such as specialty raw materials like stone and glazed porcelain, we have developed a responsive model that accounts for these shifts without compromising on design or delivery. This model calculates tariff surcharges based solely on the actual materials affected and reconciles final costs transparently.”
