C.F. Martin & Co., producer of the iconic Martin Guitar, has survived nearly two centuries of industrial revolutions, wars, economic crises, changing consumer tastes, new technologies, and global competitions. 

Founded in 1833 and headquartered in the Lehigh Valley since 1839, the company's instruments have been used by generations of performers, from Elvis and John Lennon to Kurt Cobain and Post Malone.

How has the brand thrived for so long?

President & CEO Thomas Ripsam shared insights with an audience of 300 Lehigh Valley manufacturers, community leaders, and other business officials at the 2026 Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Forum on Oct. 1.

“The core premise is that longevity doesn't come from standing still. It comes from knowing what must never change and what must,” Ripsam said.

He said craftsmanship must be a priority but can evolve to use machines, robotics, and artificial intelligence. For example, C.F. Martin & Co. now uses a machine to cut a channel along the perimeter of a guitar body, an intricate task that was time consuming and physically challenging when done by hand.

“Our approach to using technology is to allow people to spend more time on the things where human judgment, skills, and experience matter the most and can make the biggest difference. So, technology and automation play a very important role,” Ripsam said.

Recognizing the value of technology, and giving it to skilled workers, has significantly increased production. At the end of the 1990s, the company made about 17,000 instruments annually. Today, it makes more than 125,000. That growth also includes the addition of a second manufacturing location, in Mexico.

“Standardizing and continuously improving our manufacturing materials selection and handling processes is also a big part of it,” Ripsam offered.

Manufacturers should always be on the lookout for the best talent and provide opportunities for workers to advance their careers, he said, and C.F. Martin & Co. invests in training and leadership development. But that doesn’t mean companies shouldn’t also bring in new people from elsewhere if they fit a role best.

“In non-manufacturing areas, we've had much success in bringing outside talent in with expertise and experiences that would have taken a long time to develop from within,” Ripsam said.

He offered these takeaways:

• Protect what makes you distinctive: “Nobody can be distinctive doing 25 things. You should really think about two to three things that are truly differentiated about you. In our case, it's superior craftsmanship that creates products and experiences that people choose us for.”
• Continuously reinvent where and how you engage your consumers and make, market, and sell things: “Tradition and continuous improvement aren't opposites; they can be combined. We have a phrase where we say, ‘One foot in the past, one foot in the future.’”
• Invest in people: “Nothing happens without your people … those are really your manufacturing assets.”
• Build for generations, not quarters: “Don't forget what makes you so special and makes you so great. It's not the numbers that make you so great. It's the people. It's what you do. Keep that in mind and build for generations.”
• Create products people care about: “The ultimate competitive advantage isn't simply making something efficiently. It's making something that people don't want to live without.”
• Do it responsibly: “Our people, our community, our environment, all matters.”

The Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Forum is presented annually by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce to discuss the region’s manufacturing environment and factors that are influencing it. This year’s event was held at ArtsQuest at SteelStacks in Bethlehem.

Manufacturing continues to be a leading driver of the Lehigh Valley economy. The region is among the Top 15% of markets nationwide for manufacturing, based on Gross Domestic Product. More than 700 manufacturers collectively generate about $9 billion in output annually. That represents 16% of the Lehigh Valley’s GDP. Nationally, manufacturing is 11% of GDP.

Those companies produce everything from medical devices to semiconductors, to steel pipe valves and airplane parts, to beer and cranberry juice, to Mack Trucks and Crayola crayons.

Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) was an Event Partner of the Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Forum.

Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development & Attraction at LVEDC, shared information about recent manufacturing growth, including a $1.2 billion dairy production facility announced in September by Chobani; Eli Lilly and Company’s $3.5 billion pharmaceutical campus that will break ground soon; a $30 million expansion by Nokia; and the opening of Kerry Group’s coffee extraction facility.

She noted that employment in manufacturing in the Lehigh Valley has grown three times faster than the national rate since 2010. She shared how the region’s quality of life, which is driving population growth that is fueling the workforce, has received national accolades. And how LVEDC is continuing to market the Lehigh Valley brand, including with a new life-sized “Made in Lehigh Valley” sculpture at Lehigh Valley Mall.

“We had a really successful year here in the Lehigh Valley,” Cahayla-Hoffman said.

The event also included:

• Human Active Technology, an ergonomic furniture designer and manufacturer in Forks Township, received the Manufacturer of the Year Award.
• Denise Maiatico, Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs at the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, shared data on manufacturing workforce trends.
• Mike McCarty, Senior Vice President of the Commercial Relationship Team at ESSA Bank, offered advice on how bankers can help manufacturers grow and plan for the future.
• Andrea Brady, Principal at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen), shared how manufacturers can build enterprise value in their business.
• Chris Rawlings, CEO of BlueCloud Consultants, explained how artificial intelligence can help improve efficiency.
• Shawn Furman, Advanced Manufacturing Technology Strategy Manager at Manufacturers Resource Center, shared 10 tips for how manufacturers can use AI, from preventative maintenance and visual inspections to capturing employee knowledge and identifying wasted energy.
• Congressman Ryan Mackenzie outlined federal legislation and strategies impacting manufacturing.
• Northampton County Executive Tara Zrinski celebrated Lehigh Valley’s manufacturing heritage and noted the importance of the annual Lehigh Valley Manufacturing Forum.

“The conversations happening here today about workforce development, business growth, advanced manufacturing, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence are not abstract. They are about the practical decisions that will shape the future of our employers, our workers, and our regional economy,” said Zrinski, a member of the Board of Directors of LVEDC. 

(Photos by LVEDC)