Lehigh Valley Economic Development Coalition touts population, manufacturing gains and new three-year strategy

Don Cunningham, president of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation Coalition, told the Northampton County Council on June 5 that the Lehigh Valley’s population has grown to more than 700,000 and that regional economic output has risen to about $55 billion.

Cunningham said manufacturing remains the valley’s largest sector, with roughly $9 billion in output and more than 37,000 manufacturing jobs across about 700 manufacturers. “Manufacturing is our number 1 sector,” he said. He described the valley’s growth as driven largely by organic expansion: roughly 70% of job growth comes from companies already in the market, he said, with about 30% coming from net new entrants.

Cunningham outlined the coalition’s new three-year strategic plan and three priorities for targeted development: life sciences and pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing (including semiconductors), and corporate/creative and food-and-beverage sectors. He named recent Northampton County projects the coalition worked on or tracked: Jave Hydraulic in Bethlehem Township; FL Smith expanding manufacturing; GFM (a German pharmaceutical firm) taking an existing clean-room building in South Bethlehem; and semiconductor expansions by Coherent in Forks Township and Infinera in South Bethlehem using CHIPS Act funds.

The presentation emphasized talent and site readiness. Cunningham said the valley now struggles with a shortage of available industrial sites for manufacturing and that redevelopment of brownfields and public investment will be needed to meet demand. He noted the valley’s competitive advantages: market access within a six-hour drive to one-third of U.S. consumers, strong community colleges and career-technical schools, and rising median household income near $82,000.

Council members asked about the strategic plan’s SWOT analysis, sports-tourism opportunities and workforce pipeline. Cunningham described the coalition’s methods — stakeholder focus groups, consultant-led SWOT over about 65 indicators — and said the valley scores positively on 45–48 of those indicators. On workforce, he said local ninth-through-12th grade career-technical programs are generally full and community colleges will create new programs in partnership with employers when needed.

Cunningham said the coalition also plans to market the valley to site selectors and brokers and to support internship programs connecting employers and local schools; he said the coalition’s internship summit would be held at DeSales University in June and he would provide the date. The presentation materials will be published on the coalition’s website and shared with county administration for further review.