04/12/2025
A view from the small business owner
I began my acrylic fabrication business in 2014 , more from a need to survive than a desire to grow a business. Being self-taught, I learned what I could about Acrylic and learned it was a very fickle median to work with. There were also different qualities of Acrylic (plexiglass, Plexi, Perplex, Lucite-all the same thing) and it could be purchased cheaper overseas then domestically, but the quality was not equal either.
Imported acrylic would chip and yellow over time and does not bond as well. I made a decision from the start that I would use the Domestic , American Made material and stood by that choice.
Over the years I watched as my business grew and my marketing took over the internet, I discovered that my images were being used by Chinese based business on Ali-Baba . The companies would market MY designs with MY images, then sell an inferior product at a lesser price that I could not compete with, not on the front end anyways. Many of my new sales stemmed from poor quality imports, but the damage was there none the less. When I marketed my product, clients would see the “cheap import from China” not realizing it was my design that was stolen.
I began to really reap the benefits of my choice when Covid hit and none of the Chinese imports could get to the big box suppliers in the US. While my wedding business froze, my furniture business took on a new life. I also did not have to panic about getting my material. Aside from competing with the increase in demand for all the fake “protection shields” in our stores, my supply did not miss a beat.
Now, five years later, I continue to plug forward , not affected by Tariffs from imports, because my material comes from Ohio, not Oman. It’s possible some of my colored material may see an increase, but it’s so rarely used it will have little effect on my overall business. What will have a profound effect, is when the big box companies can no longer get cheap Chinese made furniture for cheap any longer. I am now on a more level playing field to sell my high quality, custom made American pieces for the same price as theirs. And here’s the reality, I have not had to raise my prices in the 15yeras I have been in business, except to compensate for increases in USPS shipping rates (that’s a different rant)
The wedding structure I sold in 2014 for $2800 is still $2800 today. I fully expect my business to increase as imports lessen and price structures level the playing field. I am an American Small business and I am proud of our leaders for taking a stand against my biggest competition…… China. I will proudly advertise all of my pieces as Hand Crafted, Made in America and now maybe I can compete a little better against cheap, foreign imports. Now let’s work on protecting our copyrights from these thieves.
I’m sorry if we have to pay more for our toys, had we never stopped doing it ourselves we would not be in this position.
Mathew James Pendolino
Matthew James designs / Custom Ceremony Designs
