As the article stated, the Bristol plant was closed in 2003. ActivePure Technologies LLC (formerly Aerus Holdings LLC) did reopen it at one point to handle its other products, but it's likely used only for light manufacturing if any such as attachments, hoses, and parts for purification and heating systems. Otherwise, the company would showcase its manufacturing on its website and in its literature.
Correspondingly, for years the words "Manufactured By" were excluded on the Lux Classic, Lux Legacy & Lux Floor Pros' ratings tags, which bore only "Aerus LLC"; although I think that has changed in recent times presumably as a smokescreen; I'd be surprised if Aerus would have invested so heavily in restarting its vacuum cleaner production. That would be cost-prohibitive for such dated designs and a limited customer base.
It's likely that Aerus dealers only assume production is still performed by Aerus workers at Bristol and would understandably have no reason to think otherwise. Your dealer friend likely saw the tank vacuums being assembled and packaged.
Several years ago, I called Aerus LLC's corporate office and asked a basic question that the representative was unable to answer about a vacuum cleaner feature and who informed me that there was no one else that could either. I wasn't told that someone could get back to me at a later time; only that no one had the answer. What do you make of that? I took it that they no longer perform their own vacuum cleaner manufacturing (and I know that at least some of their other products are rebadged, which makes me wonder if it does any manufacturing).