As manufacturing growth in the Lehigh Valley outpaces that of the U.S., regional interest has led to a sellout of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s upcoming Fall Signature Event, “Made Here. From Everywhere.,” two weeks in advance. 

The Nov. 18 event at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem will spotlight four manufacturers producing vastly different products but sharing a common choice: the Lehigh Valley as a place to grow their business. It will feature executives from companies based in Australia, Germany, Ireland, and the United States each sharing the story behind their investments in the region.

“Overwhelming demand and limited capacity has caused us to close registration more than two weeks before the event,” said Don Cunningham, President and CEO of LVEDC. “This is the first time we’ve sold out one of our signature events, and we’re sorry to close registration but are heartened by the response, which shows that interest in Lehigh Valley manufacturing by all sized companies is very strong.”

The Lehigh Valley is one of the Top 15% manufacturing markets in the U.S. based on Gross Domestic Product. More than 700 manufacturers collectively produce an output of $9 billion, representing 16% of Lehigh Valley’s GDP. Nationally, manufacturing is 11% of GDP.

Manufacturing job growth in the Lehigh Valley has been three times greater than that in the U.S. since 2010.

The Fall Signature Event will feature in a panel discussion:

• Russell Breuer, Founder & CEO of Spot & Tango, a pet food manufacturer based in New York that opened a production facility in Upper Macungie Township in 2022 and recently announced a $20 million expansion that will double production capacity and increase its workforce by 50%.
• Enrique Medina-Meraz, Site Director for Kerry Group, a global food and beverage ingredients company based in Ireland that opened a coffee roasting and extraction facility in Hanover Township, Northampton County, last year and recently held a public ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the investment.
• Mike Kozak, Chief Operating Officer of HAWE North America, Inc , a producer of hydraulics equipment based in Germany that opened a location in Bethlehem Township.
• Steph Wilbow, Chief Operations Officer at Easy Signs, an Australian manufacturer of banners and signs that established its first U.S. operation in Upper Macungie Township in 2022 and has been expanding its capabilities since.

The panel discussion will take place in the museum’s new second floor event space.

As part of a reception and networking following the formal program, guests also will have access to the museum’s exhibits that chronicle the nation’s industrial history. The event will also serve as the last public viewing of the “Made in Lehigh Valley” Time Capsule before it is sealed for 50 years. In partnership with LVEDC, the museum will reopen the capsule in 2076 in honor of America’s 300th birthday.

The program will build on the ongoing “Made in Lehigh Valley” national branding campaign that highlights the Lehigh Valley’s companies, products, institutions, and communities. From billboards to social media, the campaign builds awareness of Lehigh Valley as both a great place to do business and a great place to live, helping companies attract and retain the people who will help them compete.

The Lehigh Valley is one of the Northeast’s fastest growing mid-sized markets in both population and economy, a rare region with a population under one million people where manufacturing is the largest part of its economy and its authentic urban centers of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton are a growing destination for young professionals and retiring seniors.

With manufacturing continuing to play an outsized role, the $57.3 billion economy is supporting growing career opportunities and is among the nation’s top mid-sized markets for economic development.

Site Selection Magazine, a leading source of real estate research, ranked Lehigh Valley as the No. 1 mid-sized market for the number of economic development projects in 2025, for the second time in three years.

Sponsors to date for the Fall Signature Event are: Presenting Sponsor: J.G. Petrucci Company, Inc.; Bar Sponsor: RKL; Gold Sponsors: Alvernia University, B. Braun Medical Inc., Comcast, Crayola, First Commonwealth Federal Credit Union, and Lehigh University; Silver Sponsors: Barry Isett & Associates, Fidelity Bank, Fitzpatrick Lentz & Bubba, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Part of Jefferson Health, QNB Bank, Shift4, and St. Luke's University Health Network; and Community Sponsor: Boyle Construction.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Fall Signature Event remain available. Please contact Nadya Rachid, LVEDC Program Manager, at nrachid@lehighvalley.org, for more information.