Comment from Delightful Ventures LLC

I own a small business in rural Arkansas that was created with the expressed purpose of lowering the cost of construction and encouraging economic growth in rural areas that do not have access to the downward price pressure and competition of larger metro areas. We service half of the state of Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma. Our model is simple, team up with manufacturers and operate with lean margins in a special-order capacity and focus on keeping overhead low to pass those savings on. In these communities, every dollar saved is exponentially valuable because the incomes in these rural areas are much lower than the national average. Home affordability is one of the main constraints to the US economy right now. The last estimate I saw said that we have a 1.2 million home shortage, yet home inventory is at an all-time high. That is a recipe for recession. We need to do everything we can to bring down the cost of construction. Quartz, Granite, Marble, and Quartzite are primarily imports. Passing a large tariff on any of these products would directly impact the cost of construction in the US and would be passed on to homeowners. I know that one large company has started manufacturing quartz in Tennessee. I am certain that they have lobbied the sponsors of this bill to weed out competition and increase their profits. This is a terrible idea for lawmakers who are trying to make homes more affordable for the middle class. Quartz is 90% of our business right now as the trends have moved away from granite and natural stone and only the wealthy can afford quartzite. I would encourage any law maker who cares about the economy and/or home affordability to vote no on this proposed tariff. Sincerely, Daniel Stowell President Delightful Spaces