On his second visit to celebrate a major expansion at B. Braun, Gov. Josh Shapiro came to the Lehigh Valley on Sept. 18 to hail the global life sciences innovator’s $20 million manufacturing investment that will create 200 new jobs and “devices that quite literally will save lives."
B. Braun, based in Germany with its U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, is expanding and modernizing production equipment at its 710,000-square-foot medical device manufacturing facility in Hanover Township, Lehigh County.
The expansion includes upgrades to IV therapy and pharmacy admixture and compounding operations. To support the expansion, B. Braun is creating a new workforce training center to centralize training and skills development for new and existing employees.
The new full-time jobs will be created over three years, and the expansion will help to retain 1,704 existing full-time positions. B. Braun has accepted the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s offer of $1.5 million in funding to support the expansion and workforce training.
“Pennsylvania is a national leader in the biotech and life sciences industry thanks to our key location, research infrastructure, and skilled workforce,” Shapiro told a crowd of dignitaries and business leaders who gathered for the announcement at B. Braun’s manufacturing facility. “Having operated in the Lehigh Valley for more than 45 years, B. Braun recognizes the many advantages of doing their critical work here in Pennsylvania ― which is why they’re once again reinvesting in our Commonwealth. My Administration and I are proud to support this expansion that will grow jobs, strengthen our life sciences sector, and help drive Pennsylvania’s economy forward.”
Shapiro said B. Braun’s success helps other businesses in the state. B. Braun sources $200 million in raw materials from 100 suppliers in Pennsylvania.
Joining Shapiro at the announcement were Don Cunningham, President & CEO of Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC); Rob Albert, CEO of B. Braun of the Americas, Inc.; Rick Siger, Pennsylvania Secretary of Community and Economic Development; state Sen. Lisa Boscola; and state Sen. Nick Miller.
Albert, also an LVEDC board member, emphasized the region’s skilled workforce and supportive business environment as key reasons for B. Braun's continued growth in the Lehigh Valley.
“We are growing in the Lehigh Valley and in Pennsylvania because 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,” Albert said. “Lehigh Valley also has the quality of life and the culture we need to retain our talent. Our people love living and working here.”
Shapiro noted B. Braun’s leadership in workforce training as a founding member of the Industrial Training and Education Consortium of the Lehigh Valley (iTEC), a unique partnership of industry, education, government, and community organizations that promotes careers in advanced manufacturing and prepares people for those skilled jobs.
Among the apprentices is Tessa MacLean, a second-generation B. Braun employee and third-generation tradeswoman who began as a technician four years ago. Through the apprenticeship program, she advanced her skills under the mentorship of the region’s most skilled craftspeople.
Her education has not only given her career opportunities, but peace of mind.
“I know in the back of my mind that if anything happens to any of my family, they are hooked up to my products, and it will save their lives,” MacLean said.
In 2022, B. Braun completed a $200 million, 310,000-square-foot expansion of its Hanover Township manufacturing plant, creating 200 jobs. B. Braun manufactures more than 1,600 different products in the Lehigh Valley, including diagnostic equipment used by radiologists around the globe to diagnose diseases and monitor disease progression for millions of people. The company’s U.S. headquarters have been located in Bethlehem since 1979.
“B. Braun is one of the foundations of the Lehigh Valley's manufacturing and life sciences economy, helping to lead the way in the region's renaissance,” Cunningham said. “We are grateful to Governor Shapiro and the Commonwealth for their tremendous partnership and helping to support B. Braun's innovation and growth here in Pennsylvania.”
“The Shapiro Administration is proud to support B. Braun’s continued growth and success here in Pennsylvania,” Siger said. “This project further strengthens our already robust life sciences ecosystem and manufacturing industry ― two of the important sectors we’re focusing on in our 10-year Economic Development Strategy to help boost the Commonwealth’s competitiveness.”
The Lehigh Valley is home to more than 170 life sciences business establishments – manufacturing facilities, labs, research centers, offices, and distribution centers – that employ more than 6,000 people.
In addition to B. Braun, they include global brands such as Olympus, OraSure Technologies, Sharp, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, along with emerging startups such as Thread Bioscience and Ilico Genetics.
Employment in life sciences in the Lehigh Valley has grown by about 50% in the past decade, and life sciences is a key sector that LVEDC has targeted for growth in its new strategic plan for 2025-2027.
B. Braun is among several global companies that have their U.S. headquarters in the Lehigh Valley. Others include Olympus Corporation of the Americas, based in Japan.
More than 100 international companies have operations in the Lehigh Valley, including Mack Trucks (Sweden), Evonik (Germany), and Air Liquide (France).
(Photos Courtesy of PA Cast)