Workers with Stone Bridge Iron and Steel, Inc. placing the final steel beam for the construction of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hecktown Oaks in Lower Nazareth Township in June 2020. (photo provided by LVHN)

It’s been an unusual year, to say the least, but economic development activity continued throughout 2020 even despite the coronavirus pandemic.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that the stories from the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC) blog that generated the most attention were a mix of COVID-related stories and posts about projects and expansions, economic development news, and stories about existing regional companies.

Below are the 10 most-read stories of the year from the LVEDC blog, according to our analytics, in order of their publication date:

January 9: The New York Times Highlights Lehigh Valley’s Economic Success Story

Before the pandemic reached the United States, The New York Times wrote a story about Lehigh Valley’s thriving economy, highlighting the region’s manufacturing sector, transportation infrastructure, network of colleges and universities, food and beverage companies, and much more.

March 20: COVID-19 UPDATE: Business Resources Available After Gov. Wolf’s Closure Order

When businesses began closing due to the COVID-19 crisis, LVEDC immediately established a coronavirus resources and information page, and began providing information and writing multiple blog posts about emergency funding sources available for regional companies.

March 24: LVEDC Reports Initial Findings From Survey of COVID-19 Economic Impacts

As part of its response to the coronavirus pandemic, LVEDC issued a survey inviting Lehigh Valley employers to provide information about the impact of COVID-19 and mitigation efforts on the regional economy and their businesses.

March 27: Supplies Sought for Lehigh Valley Health Care Providers

LVEDC supported a multi-agency effort to connect businesses that have available health care supplies with care-providing sites throughout the region during this time of unprecedented need in the community.

March 27: Lehigh Valley Companies Step Up To Fight COVID-19 Outbreak

Though the pandemic created unprecedented economic challenges, the Lehigh Valley business community stepped up and addressed those challenges head-on, with several companies diverting from their regular business practices to help fight the COVID-19 outbreak.

May 5: LVEDC Named a Top 20 Economic Development Organization in the United States

For a second consecutive year, LVEDC was recognized as one of the Top 20 economic development organizations in the United States. LVEDC was the only economic development agency in the Northeastern United States region to receive the recognition.

June 15: Suncup Juice Opens Beverage Manufacturing Facility in Bethlehem

Suncup Juice, a third-generation beverage manufacturer, opened a 180,000 square-foot juice production facility in Bethlehem. The company makes juice products tailored for health care, K-12 education, elderly feeding, day care, and prison facilities.

June 22: Final Beam Placed at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Hecktown Oaks Construction

A virtual ceremony was held this summer to mark the placement of the final steel beam in the construction of Lehigh Valley Hospital–Hecktown Oaks, a106,000 square-foot health campus being built off Route 33 in Lower Nazareth Township.

July 21: Lehigh Valley Ranked Third-Best Region in Northeast for Economic Development

The Lehigh Valley was ranked the third-best region in the Northeast for 2019 in terms of economic development projects completed, under construction or announced. The Lehigh Valley competed against much larger metropolitan areas, outranking such regions as Boston and Pittsburgh.

Sept. 24: B. Braun Medical CEO Discusses Falling in Love with Lehigh Valley

Jean-Claude Dubacher, the new U.S. Chairman & CEO of B. Braun Medical Inc., was one of 10 new corporate leaders at some of the largest companies and employers in the Lehigh Valley who were featured in an executive video interview series organized by LVEDC.