The latest edition of the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report highlights recent activity in the marketplace and shares news of a diverse array of manufacturers who have expanded their operations in the region. 
The cover article, “How Arts & Entertainment is Lighting Up Lehigh Valley’s Economy,” celebrates how hundreds of millions of dollars invested in new entertainment and sports venues has fueled the region’s economy through art, culture, and shared experiences.
Employment in the arts, spectator sports, and related industries grew 138% in the Lehigh Valley since 2001. That’s about 2.5 times the national growth rate.
“Arts and entertainment, and sports and recreation, are the front door to economic development. They create a quality of life and place that attracts people and their talents, which attracts companies, and makes a place special. The growth of this sector during the last 20 years was key to the economic renaissance of the Lehigh Valley,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).
Published each quarter by LVEDC, the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report provides a detailed overview of industrial and office market activity, notable real estate transactions, and population and labor force trends.
The report won a Gold Award from the International Economic Development Council, the largest economic development association in the world, in this year’s Excellence in Economic Development Awards program.
The newest edition covers data from the second quarter of 2025. During that period, the industrial market continued to grow but only minimally, reflecting what is occurring nationally.
An additional 314,000 square feet of industrial space was delivered, as the amount of space under construction continued its declining trend and net absorption remained negative amid continued uncertainties over national trade policies, high costs, and interest rates.
The digital version of the new issue of the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report can be downloaded here, and hard copies are available upon request.
The second quarter report shares information about several manufacturers expanding their operations or entering the market, including:
Bronkhorst USA: The Dutch maker of instruments that regulate and control pressure and flow of liquids and gases expanded into a location twice the size to begin assembly operations for customers throughout North and South America, in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
Kervan USA: The Turkish candy maker broke ground on a $20 million, 90,000-square-foot manufacturing/packaging facility/headquarters, to expand its current Lehigh Valley operations in Lower Nazareth and Bethlehem townships.
Filter King: The producer of HVAC filters for residential, commercial, and industrial use opened a 61,600-square-foot manufacturing and distribution center in Bethlehem Township that will create up to 120 jobs.
FLSmidth Cement: The manufacturer of equipment for cement and other industries opened a 122,000-square-foot factory that will employ 60 in Allen Township.
Myers Emergency & Power Systems: The company expanded with a 50,000-square-foot factory in Bethlehem Township to produce battery energy storage systems suitable for commercial and industrial use.