The latest edition of the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report provides data about recent activity in the marketplace and highlights how employment in making and moving goods in the Lehigh Valley has grown three times the national rate. 
The cover article, “Lehigh Valley’s Economy is Driven by Movers & Makers,” shares news of recent expansions by manufacturers who put down roots here decades ago, and an influx of a diverse array of new ones.
More people now work in making and moving goods than in any other sector of the regional economy – nearly 74,000 workers in all. That employment has grown by 70.9% since 2010, the start of the rebound from the Great Recession, compared to 23.2% nationally.
“Lehigh Valley is unique in America,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC). “The region has rebuilt a manufacturing economy. We found a formula for Made in the USA.”
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 third quarter of 2025. Mirroring national trends, vacancy rates for industrial space in the Lehigh Valley rose slightly during that period, as the amount of space under construction increased.
The report notes that a top industrial economist - Adrian Ponsen, Senior Economist at Cushman & Wakefield - said Lehigh Valley’s location and proximity to major markets position the region to fare well as commercial real estate activity rebounds
Communities along the Interstate 78/81 corridor, which includes the Lehigh Valley, are attractive for growth and vacant industrial space should fill faster than the rest of the nation, Ponsen said during the Office and Industrial Property Summit of the Philadelphia chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors®, held in Bethlehem on Sept. 29-30.
“If you want to beef up the speed at which your goods are getting to consumers, this is a great market to do that,” he said.
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 third quarter report points out what leading manufacturing executives are saying about why their companies are expanding or moving to the Lehigh Valley:
Rob Albert, CEO, B. Braun of the Americas
“We have a long history here and of finding skilled workers, high-quality suppliers, training partners, and a business environment that enables us to compete and win in the marketplace ... Lehigh Valley also has the quality of life and the culture we need to retain our talent. Our people love living and working here.”
Dr. Christina Franke, Executive Board Member, Bosch Rexroth
“This building is a statement - we believe in the future here. We are preparing for growth.”
John Cahalane, President and CEO, Kerry North America
“Bethlehem is the right place to grow our coffee business and deepen our commitment to sustainable nutrition and local community development.”
Gokhan Kacmaz, CFO, Kervan USA
“This location made perfect sense, both proximity to the ports and the workforce. We saw a big opportunity. All this made the Lehigh Valley a great location to make this investment.”