Dan Starr

FORT WAYNE, Indiana – The CEO of Fort Wayne-based Do it Best Corp. says if the 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico go into effect, it would create an immediate impact on costs for the lumber and hardware cooperative’s members. …Dan Starr said that the co-op’s imports from Canada would be particularly hit hard. “Do it Best purchases from Canadian mills… and then ships into independent lumber yards and home centers across the U.S.,” Starr said. “That’s that’s millions and millions of dollars of product–actually, it’s upwards of more than a billion. So we would see an immediate increase in that the cost of product that would be routed from Canada, and that that would drive up costs across the board.” Starr said even though the tariffs are on hold, the threat of such tariffs dating back to before the 2024 election has caused some price inflation.