WOODTV: How the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is affecting a small business in Grand Rapids
It’s been just over one month since President Donald Trump signed the tax and spending cut bill dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill” into law. Now, members of his administration and members of Congress are hitting the road to meet with small businesses that will experience some of the impacts of the bill.
On Wednesday, U.S. Administrator to the Small Business Administration Kelly Loeffler and U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg (R-Tipton) teamed up for a visit to a manufacturer near Grand Rapids. The two stopped by Buell Motorcycle Co. to discuss the benefits the bill will have on the business.
“The horsepower that local manufacturing brings an economy is exponential,” Loeffler told News 8. “Supporting our small businesses means that we are having a friendly manufacturing environment, that we cut back on environmental regulations that we increased the skilled workforce.”
Elements of the bill like no taxing on overtime, tax cuts and deregulation are just some things they say will directly help small businesses.
“To have these opportunities that form new policy that’s been put into place, especially in the tax benefit area for businesses who can take advantage of it Day 1 and it makes a difference, our big corporations will enjoy it but a company like this that wants to compete with some of the big guys in the motorcycle community it is incumbent to us to make sure that it works,” Rep. Walberg told News 8.
Buell Motorcycle was first founded in 1983, before merging with Harley-Davidson in 1993. Harley discontinued the brand in 2009. It was restarted in 2016 under the Erik Buell Racing brand, before relaunching as Buell Motorcycles in 2021.
Buell’s CEO and Owner Bill Melvin told News 8 that the Small Business Administration has been very helpful in the company’s relaunching process.
“Support from American jobs, American manufacturing is very important to us. It’s not an easy thing to do, to have an (original equipment manufacturer) vehicle product so to have that kind of federal government is very important and crucial for bringing jobs back to Michigan,” Melvin said.
Buell, an original equipment manufacturer, produces products that are sold to other companies to use on their own products.
“We see a 20 to 1 benefit so for every job they create here at an OEM, it adds 20 additional jobs in the region. That’s unparalleled,” Loeffler said.
Melvin said the company has transitioned from about 30% made in America, to about 60% — a number he said he hopes to keep growing in the future and a key focus for the Loeffler too.
“One hundred percent tax deductibility of made in America manufacturing is great for a state like Michigan, where people are building here again finally thanks to president Trump’s fair trade agenda,” she said. “Buell is a great example of made in America, where most of the parts are sourced here in America,” Loeffler said.
She said the work is still ongoing.
“There is no bigger business than small business. We know that President Trump knows that and we are going to continue to work with our partners in Congress to ensure that we restore that exceptionalism that we have in this nation,” she said.