They started elsewhere. Now, they’re making their future in Lehigh Valley. 
Manufacturers from across the United States and around the world are choosing to make their products here, bringing new investment, jobs, and ideas to America’s No. 1 mid-sized market for economic development.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) will put their stories in the spotlight at its Fall Signature Event, “Made Here. From Everywhere.”, Nov. 18 at the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem. The event will feature a panel discussion and product displays from some of the newest companies to enter the Lehigh Valley market. The featured companies will be announced in the coming weeks.
“Every fall, we bring people together to focus on an important part of the Lehigh Valley economy,” said Don Cunningham, President & CEO of LVEDC. “The companies we’re highlighting this year all came here recently from different places, serve different customers, and make very different products. They are examples that companies from around the world are attracted to the Lehigh Valley and its assets: a deep manufacturing heritage, a skilled workforce, solid infrastructure, and a location that puts one of the largest markets in the country within easy reach.”
To register, click here. There is no cost to attend. A $25 fee will be billed to those who register but do not attend the event.
As part of the 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 event will build on the ongoing “Made in Lehigh Valley” national branding campaign that highlights the region’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 America’s fastest growing mid-size 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.
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.
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.
The rankings are the benchmark assessment of economic development and growth by the corporate real estate, site selection, and economic development profession.
The Lehigh Valley has ranked in the top ten of mid-sized markets, defined as regions with a population of 200,000 to 1 million people, for the last decade. The Lehigh Valley was third in 2024 and first in 2023.
Sponsorship opportunities for the Fall Signature Event will be announced shortly. Please contact Nadya Rachid, LVEDC Program Manager, at nrachid@lehighvalley.org, for more information.