The Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) has been selected for an Excellence in Economic Development Award by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), the world’s largest and most prestigious organization serving economic developers.

LVEDC was recently informed it won a Silver Award for Best Video/Multimedia Promotion, in recognition of a video it released about the Lehigh Valley’s manufacturing industry, part of a series of six videos highlighting target sectors of the regional economy.

“These videos are designed to market the economic assets of the Lehigh Valley and let the world know this is a great place for companies to come, grow, and start,” said LVEDC President and CEO Don Cunningham. “We are truly honored to receive this recognition from IEDC, which is a wonderful validation of the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.”

This is the second time in as many months that LVEDC has received an award. In October, the Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) bestowed its prestigious Excellence in Development Finance Program Award to LVEDC in recognition of the Lehigh Valley Lending Network.

The manufacturing video recognized by IEDC was created by the Emmy Award-winning FireRock Productions. It highlights the many assets that make the Lehigh Valley a good fit for manufacturers, including its central location, well-developed transportation infrastructure, access to markets, strong workforce, community and culture, and excellent educational institutions.

“On behalf of the IEDC board of directors and Excellence in Economic Development Awards Advisory Committee: congratulations to LVEDC,” said Barry Matherly, IEDC 2016 Board Chair. “Not only did they work to provide a necessary service to their community, but also, their participation in the awards program sheds light on their stellar projects, which other communities can now use as a benchmark.”

The video series highlights the Lehigh Valley’s four target sectors – high-performance manufacturing, life science research, food and beverage processing, and high value business services – as well as redevelopment and the region’s entrepreneurial community.

All six videos are available on the LVEDC website, as well as the organization’s YouTube channel.

The manufacturing video includes interviews with some of the region’s biggest manufacturers, including Mack Trucks, Victaulic, and Crayola.

“More than 60 percent of the products we make globally are produced here in the Lehigh Valley,” Pete Ruggiero, executive vice president of global operations at Crayola, said in the video. “We’ve chosen to set up shop here because of the road networks, as a start. The access that trucks and warehouses have to the entire United States in phenomenal.”

Manufacturing is the leading economic sector in the Lehigh Valley, making up $5.56 billion of the region’s $36.97 billion gross domestic product, or 15 percent, Cunningham said. There are about 680 manufacturers in Lehigh and Northampton counties, employing about 32,000 people.

Online video traffic is predicted to make up to 80 percent of all consumer Internet traffic in 2019, according to the Cisco Visual Networking Index. That amount is up from 64 percent in 2014, meaning a rise of 16 percent in just five years.

“Internet users are consuming more video than ever, especially as Internet speeds grow faster and a growing number of people are opting to watch video online rather than through cable,” said Michael Keller, LVEDC Director of Marketing. “Now is the perfect time to spread the word about the Lehigh Valley through this fast-growing medium.”

This is not the first time LVEDC has been recognized by the IEDC. The Lehigh Valley Land Recycling Initiative (LVLRI), LVEDC’s redevelopment program, won the Gold Award for a Multi-Year Economic Development Program in 2013.