1. Have tariffs affected your business in the past year?
Tariffs have had a noticeable impact on our business this past year. The increased duties on imported goods raised our supply costs, which in turn affected our profit margins. To adapt, we diversified our supplier base and implemented price adjustments to offset some of the added expenses. We had to make frequent inventory adjustments because of unstable sourcing conditions, which disrupted our ability to maintain consistent stock levels. This instability occasionally resulted in lost customer orders when inventory wasn’t available. We fully support the intent of these tariffs to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. However, executing this shift has presented both financial and operational challenges that required significant effort for many businesses, including ours, to manage.
2. How have customer expectations changed in the past year, particularly regarding service, performance and sustainability?
Customer expectations have shifted significantly over the past year. In terms of service, customers now expect faster response times, more personalized support and communication across multiple channels. They also expect better performance overall with greater demand for increased reliability, consistency and efficiency. There is little tolerance for delays or disruptions. While sustainability remains a consideration, it is less central than before. Most customers are more focused on getting dependable service and strong product performance. We’ve focused on further enhancements to our service delivery and our operational reliability to remain competitive and trusted by our customers.
3. What are you most looking forward to in 2026?
In 2026, we look forward to stabilizing our supply chain and improving inventory management. Lower energy costs and reduced taxes will ease some financial pressures, while new market opportunities will support growth and stronger customer value.
For more State of the Industry coverage, visit pumpsandsystems.com/tags/state-of-the-industry-2026.
