快播视频

It鈥檚 a story that Don Cunningham doesn’t get tired of telling. He remembers the dark days of the mid 1990s when Bethlehem Steel made its last cast and ended hot metal production in its namesake city. Meanwhile in Allentown, the Lehigh Valley鈥檚 last silk mill closed and Hess鈥檚 department store closed its Center City location.

It was in 1995 that community leaders came together and founded the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. to attract new industries. Thirty years later, times have changed.

It used to be that any industrial development was welcomed. With population growth that is now outpacing the rest of the state, along with the Valley’s having its largest workforce in its history, the focus is now different.

鈥淥ur economic strategy has changed,鈥� said Cunningham, who has been LVEDC president and CEO since 2013. 鈥淲e can be more selective about [which companies] can come here.鈥�

About 900 people attended the LVEDC annual meeting Tuesday at the ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks in Bethlehem. The program, celebrating the organization鈥檚 30th anniversary, included a variety of speakers, including state Secretary of Community & Economic Development Rick Siger.

Jay Garner, president and founder of Atlanta-based Garner Economics, which consults regions for site selection and economic development, said the Lehigh Valley鈥檚 growth is comparable to cities and states in the Sun Belt.

鈥淭he Lehigh Valley is the economic engine for the entire commonwealth,鈥� Garner said.

Here are four things to know from the annual meeting:

Moving in, not out

Cunningham recalled his younger days growing up in Bethlehem when his peers were looking for opportunities outside of the Lehigh Valley.

The Valley has had a population bump of nearly 10,000 between 2020 and 2023, mainly the result of people moving in from other places. Both Lehigh and Northampton counties are in the top 5% of U.S. counties for domestic and international migration.

The most important thing is that many of the area’s new residents are 18-34 years old.

A younger surge is important to bring in and keep employers, Cunningham said.

鈥淓mployers don鈥檛 stay or relocate to areas losing population and its young people,鈥� Cunningham said. 鈥淭he brain drain of yesterday is the brain gain of today.鈥�

Finding a place to stay

A panel of younger members of the Valley鈥檚 business community discussed what attracted them to the region and why they decided to make it home.

Paul Hodges, CEO and co-founder of Soltech Solutions, said he and his partners were looking for a place to produce their grow lights for houseplants. They were looking at an article about the top 100 places to start a business and found Bethlehem.

鈥淭his place has the infrastructure to support entrepreneurs,鈥� he said. 鈥淏usinesses here have so many different avenues, so much support. I was surprised about the amount of referrals we were getting.鈥�

Karianne Gelinas, vice present of regional partnerships and talent strategies for LVEDC, said her husband, who鈥檚 from California, marvels at the amount of local festivals.

The panelists agreed that the Valley鈥檚 mixture of rural, suburban and urban makes it a place that鈥檚 welcoming to almost anyone.

鈥淲hat keeps you here, and work for an iconic brand, is we can live our values everyday,鈥� said Orville Trout, senior vice president of human resources at Crayola

Following the LV鈥檚 lead

Siger said the state is trying to extend the Valley鈥檚 success to the rest of Pennsylvania.

鈥淗ere in the Lehigh Valley, things are really on the rise,鈥� he said.

Some of the programs that have come on track in recent years on the state level include $500 million toward site development investment to expand the inventory of industrial areas; and a fast-track program in the permitting process for economic development and infrastructure projects.

The state, he said, will also try to address housing shortages with programs that not only encourage construction of homes, but also funding to repair and maintain older housing stock, along with tax credits for buyers.

鈥淭he cost of housing is increasing and that鈥檚 a result of the amazing economic impacts we鈥檝e been having,鈥� Siger said.

What鈥檚 next?

What does the next chapter look like for the Lehigh Valley?

Garner said the Valley should continue growing its biomedical and life sciences industries, while jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon, and continue to enhance its traditional industries such as food and beverage.

He had six points of focus:

• Develop affordable workforce housing options
• Grow workforce participation through employer-sponsored private/public child care
• Enhance the entrepreneurial ecosystem
• Partner with Martin Guitar for annual marquee singer/songwriter’s event.
• Create World Trade ABE
• Advocate for a new statewide economic development funding model.

鈥淚 can鈥檛 wait to see what happens in the next 10 years,鈥� Garner said.

Morning 快播视频 reporter Evan Jones can be reached at ejones@mcall.com.