Cambria CEO and Trump Donor Seeks Quartz Tariffs, Drawing Fire From Competitors
Why It Matters
A bitter trade dispute in the quartz countertop industry is drawing national attention to how well-connected executives can leverage federal tariff policy against competitors — with consequences for small businesses, home buyers, and thousands of workers across the country. At the center of the fight is Marty Davis, the CEO of Minnesota-based Cambria and a prominent donor to President Donald Trump.
What Happened
Davis, whose family founded Cambria in 1999, has filed repeated petitions with the federal government seeking higher tariffs on imported quartz. As the leading domestic manufacturer of quartz countertops, Cambria stands to benefit directly if tariffs make foreign-made quartz more expensive for competitors who rely on imported slabs.
Cambria is a privately held company with roughly $500 million in annual revenue and approximately 1,800 employees. The Davis family’s broader business interests have historically included a regional dairy operation and budget airline Sun Country Airlines. Davis has positioned himself publicly as a champion of American manufacturing and middle-class jobs, arguing that cheaper imported quartz undermines U.S. producers.
“Free and fair trade has to prevail, or the American manufacturer will be gone,” Davis said in recent public remarks, adding that the jobs at stake “promote a healthy middle class.”
His rivals tell a sharply different story. Small fabricators, large quartz importers, and home builders have formed a coalition to fight Cambria’s latest tariff petition, arguing the proposed duties would raise prices for consumers and threaten tens of thousands of jobs at businesses that depend on imported materials.
By the Numbers
- $500 million — Cambria’s estimated annual revenue
- ~1,800 — Cambria employees in Minnesota
- ~30 — workers employed at Marble Uniques, an Indiana small business opposing the tariff petition
- 100,000+ — U.S. quartz industry jobs that both sides claim to be protecting
- $100,000 per person — ticket price at a Trump fundraiser Davis hosted in 2020
The Political Dimension
Competitors argue Davis holds an outsized advantage because of his personal relationship with the president. Davis hosted a high-profile Trump fundraiser in 2020 and has more recently disclosed that he holds an investment stake in Trump Media and Technology Group, the president’s social-media company.
Under the current administration’s trade framework, President Trump retains final authority over whether new quartz tariffs are imposed — a decision Davis’s rivals say could be influenced by the CEO’s political access rather than purely economic merit.
“Very few of us have the time or the resources to advocate on a political level,” said Kyle Keck, general manager of Marble Uniques. “It certainly feels like these larger corporations are kind of cornering that market.”
Keck’s Indiana business, which cuts and sells imported quartz slabs and employs about 30 people, has joined the coalition opposing Cambria’s petition. He warned that higher tariffs could force job cuts if his customers refuse to absorb the full cost increase. Consumer prices have already risen sharply in several product categories, making further cost pressure on home renovation materials a sensitive issue for buyers on tight budgets.
Both sides have deployed law firms and public relations firms to press their cases, and each claims its position best protects American workers and consumers. The dispute has escalated well beyond regulatory filings into a public messaging battle, with competing economic impact claims and warnings of an affordability crisis for U.S. home buyers.
Zoom Out
The Cambria dispute reflects a broader pattern in which domestic manufacturers are using the Trump administration’s expansive tariff authority as a competitive tool — not just a trade-policy instrument. The tariff refund process has already proven difficult to navigate for many businesses, and the prospect of targeted tariff petitions from well-capitalized incumbents raises concerns among smaller operators across multiple industries about unequal access to federal trade levers.
The quartz industry fight also illustrates the tension within Republican trade policy between protecting domestic producers and keeping consumer costs in check — two goals that do not always align.
What’s Next
The decision on whether to impose additional quartz tariffs rests with President Trump. Federal trade proceedings typically involve comment periods and agency review before a final ruling. Industry participants on both sides are expected to continue pressing their cases through legal channels and direct outreach to administration officials as a decision approaches.