Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers visited one of Lehigh Valley’s thriving brewpubs to offer their continued support for small businesses as they face uncertainty amid newly enacted tariffs. 
Shapiro was joined at Fegley’s Brew Works in Bethlehem on April 2 by Mayor J. William Reynolds, State Senator Lisa Boscola, and State Representatives Steve Samuelson and Jeanne McNeill.
The Governor said he is committed to helping small businesses through initiatives that include working with the Legislature to reduce the corporate net income tax rate; timely processing of permits and other approvals; and investing $20 million to revitalize downtowns through the Main Street Matters program.
On April 7, Shapiro announced 81 Main Street Matters grants to communities across Pennsylvania, including $1 million to Northampton County for the redevelopment of the 150-year-old Bethlehem Steel Turn and Grind Shop into a multi-use space for arts, culture, and community events. Bethlehem received Main Street Matters grants last year to restore building facades in the historic downtown and to rehabilitate a blighted property for new business use.
“I think the economic strength of our towns and cities is directly tied to small businesses like Fegley’s and others that line our Main Streets,” Shapiro said at the Brew Works.
About 83% of the business establishments in the Lehigh Valley are considered small businesses, meaning they have fewer than 20 employees. About 51% have fewer than five.
The Lehigh Valley has a robust support network for small businesses.
Affordable startup space and assistance are provided by business incubators such as Allentown Economic Development Corp.’s Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, Bethlehem Economic Development Corp.’s Partnership for Innovation facility, and Ben Franklin TechVentures, which is operated by Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania.
A coalition of organizations, including Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. (LVEDC), supports entrepreneurs by offering opportunities for mentorship, education, networking, and financing. LVEDC also administers financing programs on behalf of the Lehigh Valley’s regional economic development organizations.
The state is supporting small businesses through targeted efforts, Shapiro said.
Last year, the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture awarded more than $516,000 in research and marketing grants to boost sales, production, and quality in Pennsylvania’s craft beer and malt beverage industry.
At Fegley’s Brew Works, Shapiro spoke with owner Jeff Fegley, and Beau Baden, owner of Sherman Street Beer Co. in Allentown, to hear their concerns.
“I give a damn about our Main Streets, and I'm trying, together with these lawmakers, to make life easier for our small businesses, to make life easier and more profitable for those businesses that line our Main Streets,” Shapiro said. “We're going to continue to invest in our Main Streets. We're going to continue to cut costs, as we have in the past, by cutting taxes for our small businesses.”
The Governor and the other officials who joined him were critical of the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump on April 2.
Trump set a minimum tariff of 10%. Higher reciprocal tariffs were levied against select nations, at the rate of about half the tariffs that those nations charge the U.S.
The President said the tariffs would drive a domestic renaissance in manufacturing, create jobs, stabilize supply chains, and revitalize American communities. He has acknowledged the tariffs could result in "some pain,” but only temporarily.
Shapiro and the other officials at the Brew Works said the tariffs are bad for businesses and their customers.
“A tariff is a tax, and it increases the price for consumers and for businesses,” Shapiro said.
Reynolds said Fegley’s Brew Works is one of the many success stories in Bethlehem. He said when the family-run business opened in 1998, it was a symbol that Bethlehem “was on its way back.”
The city came back with bipartisan support of public officials, Reynolds said.
“We've been able to attract new investment, new families, people that want to live here, people that want to move here, people that want to send their kids to school here,” Reynolds said. “And the backbone of that has been jobs. In 2008, we had about 28,000 jobs now. Now, we're up over 42,000 jobs in the city of Bethlehem.”
The state lawmakers at the Brew Works pledged to continue to provide support for small businesses.
“I’m willing to work with my colleagues in Harrisburg to help our businesses weather these uncertain times,” Boscola said.
“We know that small businesses drive both our state and national economies,” McNeill said.
“Small businesses are the key to job creation,” Samuelson said.
(Photos courtesy of PA Cast)