Tired, frustrated, an ABQ small business’ inflation experience

Copyright © 2022 Albuquerque Journal

Fatigue.

This is a feeling that Griezli Graphics owner José Jaramilo has been well aware of for more than two years in the epidemic and is now united in the face of rising inflation.

“Overall, most business owners are tired before, but it’s a different level,” he said.

The Jaramilo Screen Printing Company in Candelaria and Stanford NE is one of several small businesses that continue to deal with small-scale epidemics.

In June, the US Consumer Price Index reached 9.1% in 12 months, the highest jump in more than 40 years. Categories such as energy, food, and some textiles showed double-digit expenditures during that period.

In Grisley Graphics, suppliers’ prices began last year and there are no signs of a breakthrough.

“Last year, our spending on business increased by about 80%, and (this June) there was another 20% or 15% increase in one company,” Jaramilo said.

It started with a price tag.

Jaramilo Last summer, distributors once sold white paint for $ 200 a gallon. A.D. In 2018, the same item went up to $ 67.

But it did not end in color. Consumer products such as acetone jumped from 16 gallons to $ 24, and Guildon brand shirts rose from 1.70 to $ 3.80.

Jaramilo attributed the rise in prices to overseas production and depletion of warehouses in the United States, which has led to higher prices for distributors.

“It’s kind of like a delay. Well, one day when that last shirt was sold, they thought everything was fine – and then we got into trouble. ”

As material costs increase, Jaramilo says future workers and current workers will have to pay higher wages to live in a more expensive world.

Previously, he said, the company was paid $ 12 an hour.

Workers now start at $ 15 to $ 17 an hour, which means Jaramilo is paying an additional $ 1,000 a day for 25 employees.

As labor costs increase, Jaramilo says he prefers to raise wages to keep his workers.

All of these cost jumps mean that Grisley graphics customers are now paying 40% more for products compared to pre-epidemic costs.

“It causes us to increase prices for customers, which annoys our customers, which in turn causes customers to lose or lose things,” he said.