The Lehigh Valley’s growing manufacturing sector and life sciences industry are highlighted in two new videos.

The Lehigh Valley is among the top 15% largest manufacturing markets. More than 700 manufacturers collectively generate output of $8.1 billion, which comprises 16% of the region’s $50.2 billion Gross Domestic Product. Nationally, manufacturing makes up 12% of GDP.

The manufacturing video showcases several of those manufacturers, iconic brands such as Mack Trucks, Crayola, and Martin Guitar, and explains why they operate in the Lehigh Valley. Manufacturers are drawn by the Lehigh Valley’s location, within a day’s drive of one-third of the U.S. population, making it convenient to get their products to market. A new regional apprenticeship program, the Industrial Training and Education Consortium of the Lehigh Valley (iTEC), was launched recently to promote careers in advanced manufacturing. 

The manufacturing and life sciences industries find the talent they need in the Lehigh Valley, where there is a workforce of 1.7 million people within an hour’s drive. That talent pool is replenished every year when more than 10,000 students graduate from the region’s 11 colleges and universities, and another 1,000 complete programs at three career and technical schools.

The life sciences video highlights the innovation occurring at the more than 170 facilities doing work in the life sciences space. They include some of the biggest names in the industry, such as Olympus, B. Braun, Sharp, McKesson, ThermoFisher Scientific, and OraSure Technologies.

The videos were produced for Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. by FireRock Productions. Partners of LVEDC are encouraged to share them.

Other videos from LVEDC can be found on YouTube here.