MANITOWOC, Wis. — Sachin Shivaram, the chief executive of Wisconsin Aluminum Foundry, started to worry this summer when orders for his brake housings and conveyor belt motors first grew scarce. Within weeks, what began as mild concern snowballed into a business drought that has seen bookings plunge by 40%.

The sudden slump at this 110-year-old company illustrates the economic erosion that is challenging President Donald Trump's signature promise to restore a lost era of American manufacturing greatness. Even as the $21 trillion U.S. economy continues growing, and unemployment hovers at a half-century low, factory activity has contracted for two consecutive months, according to the closely watched Institute for Supply Management index.

View the article HERE