We Still Make Stuff Here.

Learn why some of the world’s leading manufacturers choose the Lehigh Valley in this short video about advanced manufacturing in the region.

After several decades of employment decline, manufacturing is back on the rise in the United States, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the Lehigh Valley. The region’s economic assets are well-suited for this expanding industry, which is growing at a much faster rate in the Lehigh Valley than in the rest of Pennsylvania and much of the country.

An economic analysis by the Atlanta-based Garner Economics identified high performance manufacturing as a target sector for the Lehigh Valley based on these factors, among others:

• Central location and proximity to major U.S. Northeast markets
• Well-developed transportation infrastructure
• Availability of water and sewer lines to industrial sites
• High relative proportion of residents with bachelor’s degrees in engineering
• Strong existing local pool of high-demand occupations
• 740 post-secondary completions in year 2012 from local institutions in engineering fields
• 422 annual post-secondary completions in critical fields from local institutions
• Presence of Lehigh University’s Center for Manufacturing Systems Engineering
• High measure of local specialization in electrical equipment and component manufacturing
• Average target subsector five-year forecasted growth of 10.5 percent
• Quality of place assets: ample opportunities for cultural activities, recreation, shopping

The Lehigh Valley is home to well known manufacturers such as Crayola, Martin Guitar, B Braun and Lutron Electronics. Mack Trucks assembles all its trucks for the North American market in the Lehigh Valley.

Fuling Plastics, China’s largest manufacturer of plastic tableware and kitchenware, chose the Lehigh Valley for its first American manufacturing facility, marking the first time a Chinese manufacturer has opened a facility in Pennsylvania. Company officials said this decision was based on the Lehigh Valley’s central location, convenient transportation, strong support network, public security, and the cooperation of local officials in making the project happen.