Little by little, demolition crews take down the Wire Rope factory in St. Joseph. Something more than a building is disappearing. A piece of St. Josephâs industrial history also fades into oblivion as a factory complex that employed 1,500 people in its heyday becomes a pile of brick and twisted steel, destined for a landfill somewhere. For U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, it could be a metaphor for failed trade policies of the past. âWe have lost 3 million-plus jobs to China since 2001,â said Hawley, R-Missouri. âOur policymakers in D.C. have done nothing about it, absolutely nothing. They pat workers on the head and say, âJust go find another job.â Thatâs not an answer. Thatâs ridiculous.â