(This article was originally published in the Q1 2026 Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report, about Eli Lilly and Company’s planned $3.5 billion manufacturing campus in Upper Macungie Township).
Site selection is a rigorous process, evaluating hundreds of variables such as talent, infrastructure, and cost. 
But intangibles still matter.
Jay Biggins, Executive Managing Director, Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co., said success in mega projects ultimately comes down to confidence that a region can deliver on timelines, permitting, and coordination. He said that was evident in the Lilly project, from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration to the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation.
“A company like Eli Lilly, with its urgent time-to-market mission, has to openly trust the human beings across the table,” he said. “There’s a lot of trust involved.”
Biggins delivered those remarks during a panel discussion at Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation’s 2026 Annual Meeting.
Lilly chose the Lehigh Valley over 300 other regions across the country competing for a project that will produce next-generation weight loss treatments.
The campus will become Pennsylvania’s largest life sciences investment and the Lehigh Valley’s largest ever.
It is expected to bring 850 permanent jobs with an average salary of $100,000; 2,000 construction jobs; and an economic impact of $14 billion.
The Lilly deal included a state commitment of $100 million through $50 million in tax credits and $50 million in grants. The state also will provide $5 million to Lehigh Carbon Community College to create and expand its workforce training in the life sciences, which will help deliver the talent Lilly and other life sciences companies need.
The state’s fast-tracked permitting also played a vital role in the process.
The Lehigh Valley is America’s No. 1 mid-sized market where manufacturing leads the $57 billion economy. It is home to 180 life sciences businesses, including the corporate headquarters of B. Braun Medical and Olympus of the Americas.
Read the complete Q1 2026 Lehigh Valley Commercial Real Estate Report here.
(Photo courtesy of Biggins Lacy Shapiro & Co.)