Nine months after holding up the Lehigh Valley as an example for other communities to follow in his first major economic policy address, Gov. Josh Shapiro returned to the region to meet with business leaders and again offer praise for how the Lehigh Valley gets things done.
“Everywhere I go, I have been so impressed with the way the Lehigh Valley has acknowledged that we've got to lift everyone up if we're going to really succeed as a region, if we're going to succeed as a commonwealth,” Shapiro said. “And I hope that this is no longer the exception, but this becomes the norm. It's really impressive to see the work that's going on here. And it's been an inspiration for the work we're trying to do in Pennsylvania.”
Shapiro made his comments Dec. 4 at Sacred Heart Hospital, part of St. Luke’s University Health Network, in Allentown during a taping of the “Business Matters” show for WFMZ Channel 69.
He also visited the offices of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC) in downtown Bethlehem to meet with the leadership of the Lehigh Valley Partnership and LVEDC President & CEO Don Cunningham.
Pennsylvania Secretary of Community & Economic Development Rick Siger joined the Governor in a one-hour meeting about community and economic development issues in the Lehigh Valley and the administration’s work on a new statewide economic development plan.
The Lehigh Valley Partnership is a consortium of the leaders of the region’s largest companies, governments, colleges and universities, and regional organizations. Its focus is to improve the Lehigh Valley’s economy, quality of life, and business climate through a regional approach.
“We are grateful that Gov. Shapiro and Sec. Siger took the time to meet with representatives of the region’s business community to discuss working together to grow the economy of both the Lehigh Valley and Pennsylvania,” Cunningham said. “The Governor really understands what’s happening here and is interested in helping to continue the success of the Lehigh Valley.”
Participating in the meeting along with Cunningham were Partnership Chair Greg Butz, President & CEO, Butz Family of Companies; Incoming Chair Nacho Abia, CEO Olympus Corporation of the Americas and Global Executive Officer; Vice Chair Jean-Claude Dubacher, Chairman & CEO, B. Braun of America, Inc.; and J.B. Reilly, Founder & CEO, City Center Group, and former Partnership Executive Committee member.
Both Gov. Shapiro and Sec. Siger and other members of the administration have been regular visitors to the Lehigh Valley since taking office in January.
“I can’t remember in the last three decades this many visits and this much interest in the Lehigh Valley during such a short period of time from a new administration,” Cunningham said.
Gov. Shapiro was the featured speaker at LVEDC’s Annual Meeting in March where he told the audience of more than 700 people, “From our Main Streets to our farms, we will have a Lehigh Valley sense of values, that sort of common sense, competitive approach that figures out how to come together to get things done.”
Sec. Siger recently held a large stakeholder session at Lehigh University to gather input for the state’s long-range, comprehensive economic strategy that is under development.
During the taping of “Business Matters,” hosted by Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tony Iannelli, Shapiro hinted that the Lehigh Valley will be well-positioned under that plan.
“Clearly, one of the things that is going to be a part of our growth strategy is life sciences and healthcare. And, the Lehigh Valley has so much of that,” Shapiro said.
He told the audience that packed the auditorium at Sacred Heart that it has become easier to do business in Pennsylvania because the state has streamlined its processes and now is “moving at the speed of business.”
He said it used to take too long to get a permit or business license, whether the application was from a small salon owner or a big organization such as St. Luke’s University Health Network.
“And so, we have dramatically reformed our permitting process, sped up times,” Shapiro said.
He said it now takes only 2.5 days for a business license to be granted, significantly less than the previous turnaround time of eight weeks when he took office in January.
And if state agencies do not meet publicly posted time frames for issuing various permits, the application fee is refunded.
“We are the only state in the nation doing that,” Shapiro said.
He said more small businesses are getting an opportunity to land state contracts, under an executive order he signed in September.
That order redefined what a small business is so more would qualify; instructed state agencies to provide key technical and capital access support to small and small diverse businesses; and created the Pennsylvania Advisory Council for Inclusive Procurement to advise state agencies on ways to make state contracting opportunities more inclusive.
The state redefined small businesses to include those with revenue of up to $47 million. They previously were defined as those with revenue of up to $38.5 million.
“I believe that the more people that are at the table, the better deal that the taxpayers of Pennsylvania get,” Shapiro said. “And so, we've put together an entirely new effort that is focused on both increasing the number of those small and small diverse businesses, who actually can compete, who have the wherewithal, who have the knowhow to be able to compete, and then awarding more contracts to them.”
And those businesses are getting paid promptly, he said. After seeking feedback from small companies about their experiences doing business with the state, some said they chose not to participate in the past because of the length of time it took to get paid.
“And so, we have now instituted a prompt pay policy in Pennsylvania, where if you're doing business with us, you're getting paid within 10 days,” Shapiro said.
That allows more small businesses to seek state contracts, he said.
The “Business Matters” show featuring Shapiro will air on WFMZ Channel 69 at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11.
(Photo courtesy of St. Luke’s University Health Network)