The beauty is the Lehigh Valley is rich with the talent we need for science and technology. That really is helping us drive our innovation, from manufacturing to every function in between.”
Regions
A $57 billion economy. A workforce of 1.8 million people within an hour’s drive. Eleven colleges and universities fueling a steady pipeline of talent, research, and innovation. The Lehigh Valley offers companies the scale, connectivity, and expertise to compete globally while operating in one of the most strategically located regions in the Northeast.
Manufacturing has long been the backbone of the Lehigh Valley economy, shaping the region’s identity and driving generations of growth. Today, that legacy is evolving into something even more dynamic: a modern advanced manufacturing and life sciences hub where global companies can access the workforce, infrastructure, and supply chain networks needed to scale quickly and sustainably.
That momentum is attracting transformative investment. Eli Lilly and Company selected the Lehigh Valley for a $3.5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Upper Macungie Township—the largest single economic development investment in the region’s history and the largest life sciences deal ever announced in Pennsylvania. The project reinforces what leading companies already recognize: the Lehigh Valley has the assets, location, and business environment to support complex, high-value manufacturing at a global scale.
A legacy of making.
A future of innovation.
Allentown
Eli Lilly and Co. campus rendering - Upper Macungie
Cargo Facility, Lehigh Valley International Airport
Mack Trucks - Macungie
Crayola Solar Farm - Forks Township
Air Products - Bethlehem
- Allentown, PA
- Eli Lilly campus rendering - Upper Macungie, PA
- Cargo facility, Lehigh Valley International Airport
- Mack Trucks - Macungie, PA
- Crayola Solar Farm - Forks Township, PA
- Air Products - Bethlehem, PA
The Lehigh Valley’s position in eastern Pennsylvania places businesses at the center of a concentrated consumer and industrial corridor, with direct access to Philadelphia, New York City, and the broader Northeast market. Within a day’s drive of roughly one-third of the U.S. population, companies benefit from a dense network of interstates, robust freight rail and intermodal access, and nearby air cargo capabilities through the Lehigh Valley International Airport. It’s the same strategic connectivity that helped draw B. Braun to invest $20 million into expanding its regional medical device manufacturing footprint.
Communities across Lehigh Valley offer the quality of life, affordability, and talent pipeline companies need to grow long term. It's home to multiple exceptional career and technical schools, including Lehigh Career & Technical Institute—the largest such program in Pennsylvania, supporting more than 2,700 students each year. Institutions like Lehigh University, Lafayette College, and Northampton Community College anchor post-secondary education in the region, helping develop skilled leaders for the region’s leading manufacturing and industrial sectors.
Counties in the Lehigh Valley
Berks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Schuylkill
Key Industries
Life Sciences
Advanced Manufacturing
Technology
- Carrie Eglinton Manner, CEO, OraSure Technologies (Northampton County)
Driven by talent. Built for growth.
Companies here produce guitars, surgical implants, diagnostic tests, semiconductor chips, and marshmallow Peeps—reflecting the remarkable range of what gets made in this region. The area is home to global brands, like Mack Trucks and Crayola, as well as Fortune 500 companies, including Air Products and PPL Corp.
From advanced manufacturing and life sciences to food production, logistics, and technology, the Lehigh Valley has built an ecosystem designed for growth. Established industry leaders, emerging innovators, and fast-growing companies alike are finding the same advantage here: a region with the capacity to support expansion today and the foundation to power long-term success tomorrow.
Explore Lehigh Valley Success Stories
B. Braun investing $20 million to expand medical device manufacturing in Pennsylvania
Global-medtech leader B. Braun—whose US headquarters is located in Bethlehem, PA— is investing $20 million to expand and modernize its 710,000-square-foot medical-device facility in the Lehigh Valley, securing at least 200 new full-time jobs over the next three years. Pennsylvania is supporting the company's growth with $1.5 million in grants, including funding for workforce training.
Kerry Group: Brewing up growth in the Lehigh Valley
Ireland-based Kerry Group is bringing its first Pennsylvania manufacturing facility to the Lehigh Valley, adding to the region’s momentum as a hub for global food and beverage manufacturing. The company’s multi-million-dollar investment in Bethlehem will create at least 61 new jobs and establish a coffee roasting and extraction operation focused on sustainable ingredients.
Eli Lilly and Company to build next-generation pharmaceutical manuafcturing facility in Lehigh Valley
Lilly selected Upper Macungie for a $3.5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Lehigh County—the largest life sciences investment in Pennsylvania history. The project, which pennsylvanai is supporting with up to $100 million in funding, will create at least 850 new jobs over the next five years.
Meet Lehigh Valley's Regional Partners
The mission of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation is to market the economic assets of the Lehigh Valley and to create partnerships to support the recruitment, growth and retention of employers and the creation of jobs for people of all skill and education levels.
The Industrial Training and Education Consortium of the Lehigh Valley (iTEC) is a regional apprenticeship program established to provide industrial skills training and talent development to meet the needs of the Lehigh Valley’s growing manufacturing sector.
The Lehigh Valley Planning Commission (LVPC) is a regional planning agency that coordinates land use, transportation, housing, and environmental planning to promote sustainable growth and economic vitality across the area’s cities, suburbs, and rural communities.
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is a regional business organization and one of the largest chambers of commerce in the United States, focused on promoting economic growth, business advocacy, and community development across the region.