Dennis Davin, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, speaking at the Pennsylvania Governor’s ImPAct Awards ceremony.

Five Lehigh Valley companies have been recognized by the Pennsylvania Governor’s ImPAct Awards, which honor companies that have made a substantial impact on the state through job creation or retention.

“Today we celebrate Pennsylvanians who work hard every day to help their workers thrive, to grow their companies, and to improve the communities in which they live,” said Laura Williams, president of the Team PA Foundation. “All of these things, one day, one place at a time, help to make Pennsylvania better.”

Awards were presented in five different categories by the state’s signature awards program, which celebrates companies that have proven they are committed to Pennsylvania and see the value and benefits of doing business in the state.

The Lehigh Valley’s winners were:

• Community Impact Award – Just Born Quality Confections, (Bethlehem)
• Entrepreneur Impact Award – CyOptics, Inc. (Upper Macungie Township)
• Export Impact Award – C.F. Martin & Co. (Nazareth)
• Jobs That Pay Award – Follett Corporation (Forks Township)
• Small Business Impact Award – Orbel Corporation (Palmer Township)

These five companies employ more than 2,200 people in the Lehigh Valley region and sell their products all over the world, according to Matthew Tuerk, LVEDC vice president of administration and investor relations.

Fifty Pennsylvania companies in total were awarded at a ceremony held May 21 in Hershey. The awardees were chosen by an independent judging panel selected by the state’s partners, Team PA and Journal Multimedia.

“We certainly appreciate that we were nominated, and I really see this as a win for everybody at Orbel, because it takes everybody at the company to win something like this,” said Ken Marino, president of Orbel, which manufactures sub-components for products assembled and sold by hundreds of brand-name companies from around the world.

“I thought the overall representation from Lehigh Valley companies was great, especially in comparison to the other areas who were awarded,” Marino said. “With companies like Just Born, Martin Guitar and Follett, there were a lot of great Lehigh Valley names in there.”

The Small Business ImPAct Award is given to a company of 100 employees or less that has been an innovator within its industry, demonstrated revenue/profit growth, increased its workforce and committed to the growth and development of its employees and community. Orbel employs about 60 people.

The Community ImPAct Award goes to a company that shows a sustained commitment to the growth and development of its employees and the community in which it does business. The Jobs First ImPAct Award is given to a company that has demonstrated consistent job growth and retention over the past two years.

The Entrepreneur ImPAct Award honors an entrepreneur who has led his or her company to a position of strength in the marketplace through creativity, innovation, managerial ability or leadership skills. The Export ImPAct Award goes to company that has significantly increased its export sales and the number of new foreign markets it sells to since 2012.

Several regional partners collaborated to help submit applications on behalf of the Lehigh Valley businesses, including the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), the Manufacturers Resource Center, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board, and the Small Business Development Center.

To be considered for an award, companies must be a for-profit entity, publicly or privately held, with headquarters or significant operations in Pennsylvania. It must be in business for a minimum of one year and be in good standing with the state.

Visit here for a full list of nominees from the Lehigh Valley, and visit here for a full list of winners from each Pennsylvania region.