Editor’s Note: This story is part two of Commercial Integrator’s Tariff Perspectives series. This time, we feature Brad Hintze of Crestron who discusses how the company has responded to ongoing changes in U.S. tariff policy.
On Feb. 20, the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs. Almost immediately afterward, the administration set in motion global levies of 10%, with an intention to increase them to 15%. All of this has led to a trade landscape that feels volatile and unsettled, creating a climate of uncertainty for commercial AV and custom home integrators. This uncertainty ripples through everything from component sourcing and product assembly to outbound client proposals.
In part two of Commercial Integrator’s Tariff Perspectives series, we speak to Brad Hintze, executive vice president, global customer success and marketing, Crestron Electronics. Below, Hintze details how the company has navigated ever-changing trade policy since April 2025. He also explains how Crestron is responding to the latest developments. Finally, he shares perspective on what this means for integrator and dealer partners.
The Evolution of the Crestron Tariff Surcharge
Back in April 2025, when the president’s “Liberation Day” tariffs were announced, Crestron prioritized transparency with its dealer base. Initially, the company projected a potential 12% tariff surcharge to cover the higher costs. As the situation evolved, though, so did Crestron’s approach.
Hintze explains that the company proactively dialed back its initial plan. “[The tariff surcharge] did kick in, though we lowered the rate as some of the details got clarified from the White House,” Hintze says. “We lowered the rate from 12% to 5% before we actually implemented it.”
Hintze adds, “True to our word, we lowered it when the tariffs got lowered. And then, we actually lowered it further.” This refers to a ratcheting down from 5% to 4% that occurred in July. “And we have left it at 4% until today,” he notes.
Just as envisioned, Crestron has kept the surcharge as a discrete invoice line item, a decision that Hintze says is likewise about transparency. “It’s very clear what that tariff surcharge is and what it costs,” he says, adding that it applies only to hardware and not to any software licenses.
Crestron Adjusting to U.S.’ New Global Tariff
As of today, Crestron is not changing its current tariff surcharge despite the Supreme Court’s ruling. “We’re still trying to digest the reality,” Hintze says. “It seems to certainly be a moving target.” He continues, “As of today, the policy still is in place at 4%. The reality is most of the inventory on our shelves was subject to the old tariff rates.” Thus, at least for the immediate term, integrators should not expect the tariff surcharge to disappear from Crestron invoices.
Next, CI asked Hintze about the new 10% global tariffs, which may rise to 15% before their 150-day statutory lapse. “We’re still working through the math,” he explains. “It seems on the surface and [by] early indicators, it’s going to be about the same.” Hintze continues, “We don’t have a current intention to adjust that rate. But once we work through the details and the full impact, then we may take it down if it’s lower, and we may have to take it up slightly if required.”
Crestron Less Affected by Tariff Policy Than Others
China had been particularly impacted by the administration’s tariff policy, and Hintze made clear that Crestron’s product and manufacturing mix has put it in an advantageous position as compared to some other AV manufacturers.
“We have a greater mix of our products that are manufactured in the U.S. or Mexico that are exempt from those other very high China tariffs and the other tariff rates,” Hintze explains. “It means we don’t have as high of a tariff burden as some other manufacturers that might have [a greater depends on] Chinese products.”
Hintze continues, “You can imagine, if we were a speaker company that was primarily reselling speakers out of China, our tariff surcharge wouldn’t be 4%. It would be much higher.” He adds, “We’re fortunate to…have a broad enough supply chain and broad enough diversity among where our products are manufactured that we can navigate this a little bit more easily.”
Crestron also has adjusted its logistics to help mitigate tariff-related costs, ensuring that goods destined for other regions don’t unnecessarily incur U.S. levies along the way.
“We have adjusted our distribution models and worked out distribution capabilities that would allow us to fulfill our global regions without going through the U.S. first,” Hintze says. It’s another proactive measure to try to mute the impact of tariffs on partners and customers.
Integrators Adapting to Volatile Market
One key observation from Hintze is that the most successful integrators are proactively factoring tariffs and shifting government policy into their decision-making. He refers to this as “good business hygiene.”
Integrators that are actively managing their business, he says, have embraced this new reality and have taken steps such as shortening proposal validity windows, shrinking them from 60 or 30 days to perhaps 14 or 10 days. That way, if suppliers like Crestron need to change their price list, integrators won’t find themselves upside down on a project quoted weeks or months prior.
Hintze also advises integrators to embrace transparency, including being forthright with clients about the increased costs they’re bearing and the need to pass them through in their project pricing.
Will Crestron’s Tariff Surcharge Be Permanent?
One dealer concern is that, once tariffs are in the rearview mirror, invoice pricing will remain just as high. This calls to mind fuel surcharges and other levies that were initially situational but that eventually became permanent. Hintze, however, says Crestron is committed to not doing that.
“It is our intention to remove our tariff surcharge [if tariffs are repealed],” he declares. “There were plenty that did price increases in response to the tariffs, and maybe they’ll make that right. We chose our path to provide the most transparency and the most flexibility and latitude in being able to make those decisions as we go forward [and as] these policies shift, as well.”
A Strategy Focused on Partnerships
While the noise of court rulings and policy changes can be distracting, Hintze tells CI that Crestron’s strategy remains focused on partnership. The 4% tariff surcharge will remain in place as the company works through the math and as the administration’s new levies come into focus. The surcharge will remain a separate line item, and that line item will disappear when — and if — the tariffs themselves eventually disappear. Meanwhile, Crestron will continue to leverage its manufacturing and assembly diversity, including in the U.S. and Mexico, to mitigate its own tariff exposure.
This is the foundation, Hintze says, of giving Crestron dealers the tools they need to maintain their margins and keep projects profitable.
