The latest edition of the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report highlights recent activity in the marketplace and a new manufacturing facility opened by a company with roots in the Lehigh Valley for more than a century. 
The cover article, “Cementing a Lehigh Valley Legacy,” celebrates FLSmidth Cement, which already has its U.S. headquarters in the Lehigh Valley, opening a 122,000-square-foot manufacturing facility that will employ 60.
FLSmidth Cement produces equipment for industries including cement. Lehigh Valley is a hub of cement manufacturing, and one of the machines that FLSmidth will produce at its new center was invented in the Lehigh Valley and revolutionized the industry, empowering the construction of America’s cities.
“Lehigh Valley’s manufacturing economy is growing because innovative companies such as FLSmidth recognize the advantages to making their products here,” said Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development and Attraction at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC).
Published each quarter by LVEDC, the Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report provides a detailed overview of industrial and office market activity, notable real estate transactions, and population and labor force trends. The newest edition covers data from the first quarter of 2025, when the vacancy rate for industrial space increased, particularly logistics space.
That can be an opportunity for manufacturers seeking space, Cahayla-Hoffman said.
“A slight uptick in logistics space availability opens the door for manufacturers to enter or expand in the Lehigh Valley’s established market,” she said.
The digital version of the new issue can be downloaded here, and hard copies are available upon request.
The first quarter report shares how the former Allentown Metal Works has been transformed into the home of Eastern Exterior Wall Systems. The Allentown Economic Development Corporation purchased the brownfield in 2013 and prepared it for redevelopment by performing environmental remediation and select demolition.
The report announces that Gesellschaft für Micronisierung mbH (GfM), a German company that specializes in micronization of pharmaceutical, food, nutritional, and cosmetic ingredients, is locating its U.S. headquarters in Bethlehem, creating up to 100 jobs.
And it highlights some of the latest developments in Center City Allentown, the new Archer Music Hall and Moxy hotel, by City Center Group.
The key activity occurring in the Lehigh Valley commercial real estate marketplace highlighted in the report includes:
- Bazzini, a nut and confections producer, expanded its Lehigh Valley operations by leasing the former Stuffed Puffs factory in Hanover Township, Northampton County.
- J.B. Hunt purchased a property in Bethlehem for $30 million that it previously had been leasing.