A panel discussion during the previous Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce Manufacturing Council Summit, held in October. (courtesy photo)

It was 1996 when Tom Cruise and Cuba Gooding Jr. first shouted “Show me the money!” in the film “Jerry Maguire,” and two decades later, it couldn’t be more appropriate as the title for the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce‘s upcoming Manufacturing Council Summit.

The March 3 summit will spotlight the financial resources available to help manufacturers grow in the Lehigh Valley, as well as feature existing manufacturing companies from the region who will share how they utilized such those resources.

“It’s going to be an extremely valuable event,” said John Kingsley, Vice President of Finance for the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), who will moderate a panel discussion. “Expertise from the state will be on display, and visitors will hear from real manufacturers about how they have used these available resources to benefit their company and grow.”

“Show Me the Money” will be held on March 3 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Blast Furnace Room of the ArtsQuest Center in Bethlehem. The cost is $20. Please RSVP with Danielle Bodnar, the Chamber’s vice president of business and diversity councils, at 610-739-1642 or at danielleb@lehighvalleychamber.org.

The summit will focus on local, state, and federal programs of grant, loans, and tax credits for manufacturers, according to Michelle Griffin Young, the Lehigh Valley Chamber’s vice president of government and external affairs.

The official flier for the Manufacturing Council Summit IX: “Show Me the Money.” Click the image to enlarge.

During the panel discussion, Lehigh Valley manufacturers will discuss how those programs can assist with such projects as for new facilities, upgraded infrastructure, and improvements to research, development, and training.

Jack Pfunder, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Resource Center (MRC) and chairman of the Chamber’s manufacturing council, said this will be invaluable in sharing best practices with manufacturers and helping them make sense of the ever-changing resources available to them.

“They key right now is there are so many changes in the world these days that it’s easy to lose track of what’s still around, what’s changed, and how to get from A to B,” Pfunder said. “That’s the main thing we’re trying to do here. We’re trying to get as many of the financial resources available to manufacturers as possible together in one room so they can get their questions answered.”

The moderated panel will include Steve and Rich Follett from the Follett Company, Daniel Loikits from Dynalene, Catherine Bailey of Rea.Deeming Beauty, and Gary Bender from SISD, Inc.

Additionally, Sherri Collins, deputy secretary with the Office of Technology & Innovation at the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, will be delivering a keynote speech.

After the program, several organizations, experts and advisers will be available during a reception to answer questions and provide additional information. This includes LVEDC, MRC, the Allentown Economic Development Corporation (AEDC), the Lehigh Valley Workforce Investment Board (LVWIB), Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania, and the Lehigh Valley Lending Network.

“It seems that every time manufacturers turn around they are faced with another regulation impeding their growth,” Young said. “The Chamber is proud to partner with LVEDC, LVWIB, MRC and others to provide important financial options to assist our membership.”

TD Bank will be the presenting sponsor and Capital BlueCross will be the corporate sponsor, with Concannon Miller as gold sponsor, Freshpet as a silver sponsor, and Arbor Insurance Group and Boyle Construction Management as bronze sponsors. EBC Printing will be the event’s printing sponsor.

Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. For more information, contact Frank Facchiano at 610-739-1642 or at frankf@lehighvalleychamber.org.