Kentucky congressman Morgan McGarvey toured Flame Run in downtown Louisville on Friday as part of National Small Business Week. It comes as businesses around the country and locally are feeling the impact of tariffs and high gas prices. “What I’m hearing over and over again are two main themes right now, number one, tariffs are really making things more expensive for our small businesses,” said McGarvey. “Number two right now is fuel costs. You know, our small businesses, they’re either getting stuff delivered or a lot of them are delivering things out to customers. I talked to a small business owner today who said they’re already through their June fuel budget, and it’s just now May.”Flame Run owner Brook White says his business feels it, too. Their colored glass is imported from Germany, and one of their biggest utilities is natural gas, which they use to keep their furnace running at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 hours a day. But he says his business has also felt the increase in price when it comes to shipping.”Because gasoline prices are going up, the shipping companies have to charge more,” he said. “The clear glass that we get is actually shipped in from North Carolina. And so, you know, $100 charge difference is a big notice if it’s, you know, $300 to $400 to $500. And it used to be like $250.”Earlier this week, as Gov. Andy Beshear froze the state gas tax, he called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax, too.”So one of the things we’re doing in Congress is we’re trying to actually get the reason gas prices went up in the first place to stop,” said McGarvey. “And that’s take away the war powers from the president who started this war of choice in Iran. He’s the one who drove the gas prices up by doing that.”White encourages people to come visit his studio. “And I think we are a special thing for Louisville to be downtown and to be sort of one of the tourist attractions,” said White. “And we would love everybody in town to come see us.”
Kentucky congressman Morgan McGarvey toured Flame Run in downtown Louisville on Friday as part of National Small Business Week.
It comes as businesses around the country and locally are feeling the impact of tariffs and high gas prices.
“What I’m hearing over and over again are two main themes right now, number one, tariffs are really making things more expensive for our small businesses,” said McGarvey. “Number two right now is fuel costs. You know, our small businesses, they’re either getting stuff delivered or a lot of them are delivering things out to customers. I talked to a small business owner today who said they’re already through their June fuel budget, and it’s just now May.”
Flame Run owner Brook White says his business feels it, too.
Their colored glass is imported from Germany, and one of their biggest utilities is natural gas, which they use to keep their furnace running at 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, 24 hours a day.
But he says his business has also felt the increase in price when it comes to shipping.
“Because gasoline prices are going up, the shipping companies have to charge more,” he said. “The clear glass that we get is actually shipped in from North Carolina. And so, you know, $100 charge difference is a big notice if it’s, you know, $300 to $400 to $500. And it used to be like $250.”
Earlier this week, as Gov. Andy Beshear froze the state gas tax, he called on Congress to suspend the federal gas tax, too.
“So one of the things we’re doing in Congress is we’re trying to actually get the reason gas prices went up in the first place to stop,” said McGarvey. “And that’s take away the war powers from the president who started this war of choice in Iran. He’s the one who drove the gas prices up by doing that.”
White encourages people to come visit his studio.
“And I think we are a special thing for Louisville to be downtown and to be sort of one of the tourist attractions,” said White. “And we would love everybody in town to come see us.”