Time runs out for nearly century-old Michigan clock company due to tariffs, other factors

Key Points

• Howard Miller Co., a 99-year-old Michigan clockmaker, announced it will cease production this year and sell off remaining inventory in 2026 after failing to find a buyer.
• The company cited tariffs on imported components, supply chain disruptions, rising mortgage rates and a weak housing market as key factors driving its shutdown.
• About 200 employees in Michigan and North Carolina will be affected, and the closure also ends operations at Hekman Furniture Co., acquired in 1983.
• Clockmaking has been central to Zeeland’s economy and culture, with the industry once serving as a major export for the region throughout the 20th century.

ZEELAND, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan clock company that has helped people keep time for 99 years says it's going out of business due to tariffs and other economic conditions.

Howard Miller Co., which makes grandfather clocks, wall clocks and furniture, said production will be phased out this year. The company will stick around in 2026 to sell its inventory.

“We are incredibly disappointed to have reached this point in our journey,” CEO Howard J. “Buzz” Miller, grandson of founder Howard C. Miller, said Thursday.

The Zeeland-based manufacturer, 175 miles (281.6 kilometers) west of Detroit, has sought a buyer but so far hasn't found one.

“Furniture sales are closely linked to the health of the housing market, which is struggling,” Miller said. “Our hopes for a market recovery early in the year were quickly dashed as tariffs rattled the supply chain, sparked recession fears and pushed mortgage rates higher. The furniture industry continues to shed jobs and announce plant closings."

Miller said tariffs imposed by the Trump administration have increased the cost of essential components that aren't available in the U.S. The company employs roughly 200 people in Michigan and North Carolina.

The closing of Howard Miller also includes Hekman Furniture Co., which it acquired in 1983. The clock business was founded in 1926.

“Clockmaking has a massive impact on Zeeland’s economic development, on its culture, on its industry,” Zeeland Historical Society Director Katelyn VerMerris told WOOD-TV. “Clocks were one of the major exports from Zeeland for most of the 20th century.”