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With great regret, effective immediately, we are compelled to close our doors, as newly instituted - and unpredictable - import tariffs have driven us past the last point of ability to financially continue Kairos Inkle Looms.

 

Although we have always been a very low profit microbusiness, we stayed in business these past five years so that many more narrow band weavers would have access to the benefits included in our multiple inkle loom models – especially our unique fingers free shed opener – and especially those older folks with arthritic hands and fingers.

 

Regrettably, that is no longer possible.  The newly implemented import tariff taxes – to be paid by U.S. businesses that need and use imported materials, which includes Kairos Inkle Looms – has forced the tipping point to drive us to virtually no profitability.

 

We use lumber from Europe and Africa, and most metal parts from China.  These countries’ imports into the U.S. are now subject to at least an additional 10% import tariff tax which will be paid by U.S. businesses to get those raw products into the shop – including us – unless we were to pass the cost increases onto new customers by substantially raising our prices. 

 

Imagine how our sales would plunge if we had to announce an across-the-board loom increase of $50 to $70 to folks wanting to buy one of our looms?  And that price increase to simply cover the new import tariffs would still do nothing to improve our very low profit return on our craftsmanship.  And what if – which is a real possibility – that at any time these tariffs could go much higher?

 

It takes us over 300 hand-crafted steps to make each inkle loom – averaging 11.2 hours from order through shipping.  When you divide our net profit – after all out-of-pocket costs – we have functioned below minimum wage.  We, as ‘seniors’, accepted that.  But these increased tariff costs push us to virtually the point of losing money on every loom we make and sell.

 

We warmly and profusely thank all the folks who have bought one of our Kairos inkle looms.  You have been a delight to be part of our Kairos Inkle Looms family. 

 

To those of you who will no longer have that same opportunity, we just feel a strong degree of sadness and regret over your losing this opportunity.

 

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NOTE:  For those folks who still have outstanding orders with us, we will absolutely honor those commitments to finish – and ship – every loom.

 

Richard & Gail