Davids Visits Merriam Manufacturer to Highlight Small Businesses Challenges
Only 42 percent of small business owners are optimistic about their business prospects
MERRIAM, KS – Today, Representative Sharice Davids visited K.C. Strings, the largest instrument string manufacturer in the state of Kansas, to see the company’s manufacturing operations and hear directly from the owners about their new ventures and the challenges they face due to chaotic federal policies set by the administration.
“Small businesses like K.C. Strings are part of what makes our communities strong,” said Davids. “But I’m hearing from more and more Kansas business owners who are worried about rising costs and unpredictable policies coming out of Washington. Reckless tariffs and economic uncertainty make it harder for small manufacturers to plan, hire, and grow. I’ll keep working across the aisle to support small businesses, strengthen our domestic supply chains, and make sure entrepreneurs here in Kansas have a fair shot to succeed.”
While Davids previously released an updated report on the state of Kansas’ small business ecosystem that found strong entrepreneurial growth in Kansas’ Third District — including more than 10,700 new business applications in 2023 — many small businesses now report they are struggling. Rising costs and reckless tariffs are forcing small businesses to raise prices, delay expansion, and cut jobs.
In November 2025 alone, businesses with fewer than 50 employees laid off 120,000 workers — the largest monthly total for small businesses in five years. Recent reports also show half of small business owners have raised prices, one-fifth have delayed expansion plans, and 74 percent are concerned about surviving the next 12 months.
“We have a unique business here which also happens to be one of the largest of its kind in the Midwest,” said Jim Upton, General Manager, K.C. Strings. “We're also looking for opportunities to expand our operation, perhaps using 3D printing. We are very proud of what we do here and are glad for Rep. Davids to see what we're up to.”
During her time in Congress, Davids has worked across the aisle to support small businesses. As a former member of the House Small Business Committee, she called for strong oversight of pandemic relief programs to prevent fraud and focused on strengthening domestic supply chains to support small- and medium-sized manufacturers. She has also prioritized efforts to reduce excessive paperwork for small businesses and support individual workers, including veterans, women, and people in recovery.
She has also pushed back on reckless tariffs. She spoke during a U.S. House Agriculture Committee hearing on the trade disruptions Kansas agricultural producers will face due to these tariffs — a concern echoed by Kansas Farm Bureau President Joe Newland. She also visited a local toy store and manufacturer that are being hit hard by these unstable policies and hosted a press conference on her efforts to push back on tariffs that are raising prices for hardworking families.
Operating since 1992, K.C. Strings has been building and selling violins, violas, cellos, and basses worldwide. In the past year, they have expanded into the manufacturing and sale of fretted instruments, including guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles.