President Joe Biden chose the Lehigh Valley as the location to celebrate America’s entrepreneurial spirit and its connection to economic growth.
During his visit on Jan. 12, Biden toured Emmaus Run Inn, South Mountain Cycle, and Nowhere Coffee Co. in Emmaus and spoke privately with the businesses’ owners.
“Starting a new business is an act of hope,” the President said in public remarks following the tours. He added that after his discussions with the Lehigh Valley entrepreneurs he felt there was a “real, genuine sense of optimism.” 
“I’ve always believed if the middle class does well, everybody does well, the wealthy do very well, and the poor have a ladder up,” he said.
As the growing Lehigh Valley’s Gross Domestic Product repeatedly has set records in recent years, median household income has risen and poverty has declined. Median household income is higher than for Pennsylvania and the U.S. Poverty rates are lower than the state and nation.
The Lehigh Valley’s GDP topped $50 billion in 2022, the most recent data available, according to federal data published in December. That’s a growth of about $10 billion since 2017, with the increase driven by advanced manufacturing.
The White House said in a statement that under President Biden’s plan “to grow the economy from the middle out and the bottom up, communities like Allentown are creating jobs, attracting investments in manufacturing and infrastructure, and revitalizing Main Streets.”
The White House cited recent investments in the Lehigh Valley including Schless Bottles moving to Allentown from New Jersey, creating a $7.5 million bottle-making operation that will create nearly 100 jobs.
In Allentown and beyond, America is “seeing a small business boom,” White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates told reporters on Air Force One while en route to the Lehigh Valley for the President’s visit.
The number of businesses in Allentown has grown in each of the past two years. In 2021, the city issued 424 business licenses. In 2022, it issued 455. In 2023, it issued 525.
Small businesses such as those that President Biden visited in Emmaus represent a significant part of the Lehigh Valley’s economic engine.
About 84% of the business establishments in the region have fewer than 20 employees. About 51% have fewer than five.
“The Lehigh Valley is a perfect setting to illustrate the big role that small businesses play in a regional economy,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC). ”We’re honored that again President Biden has highlighted the region as an example of economic success.”
Accompanying Biden on his tour of the businesses was Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman, head of the U.S. Small Business Administration.
The Lehigh Valley is home to downtowns flush with unique small businesses in Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton, and boroughs such as Emmaus.
Small businesses are destinations for people to gather and buy products and services. They create jobs and offer experiences that drive the character of a community. That quality of life is a major economic asset of the Lehigh Valley because it attracts talent. The availability of a skilled workforce is a key driver in decisions where businesses relocate.
Small businesses also drive innovations, launching new technologies and products amid the Lehigh Valley’s rich entrepreneurial ecosystem.
After visiting the businesses in Emmaus, Biden stressed the importance role that childcare plays in the economy.
“It helps everybody,” he said. “It generates economic growth. Because when you can continue to work, if you have a child that needs help or needs to be taken care of, it generates economic growth. Everybody does better.”
LVEDC works with its partners to support business incubators and entrepreneurial programs that help people turn their passions into profitable businesses. LVEDC publicizes resources to help businesses get started, and it administers financing programs on behalf of the Lehigh Valley’s regional economic development organizations.
Biden was joined on his tour of Emmaus businesses by Gov. Josh Shapiro, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild. Allentown Mayor Matt Tuerk was among the officials who greeted Biden when he arrived at Lehigh Valley International Airport. Biden wrapped up his visit to the Lehigh Valley by meeting with firefighters and officials at Allentown's fire training academy.