> The original, and most iconic manufacturer of wet-dry vacuums, the privately held Shop-Vac Company, imploded and went out of business.
A disappointing sign of the times, but luckily (so far) I've been able to find 3rd party replacement bags and supplies for my 3 Shop-Vacs online.
> The bank indeed sold Shop-Vac’s assets to a Chinese company. But the new owner, through its subsidiary GreatStar Tools USA, decided to keep Shop-Vac’s operations in Williamsport, led by new American managers. More than 200 of the old workers -- about half of the previous Pennsylvania workforce -- were retained or rehired this year ... Shop-Vac will continue to produce motor assemblies for all of its vacuums in Asia, and it will also continue to produce small Shop-Vacs -- under four gallons -- in China or in Vietnam to reduce tariff costs. Those smaller household vacuums sell at a lower profit margin, and they can still be produced in Asia at a lower cost.