December 12, 2025 Why Food & Beverage Manufacturers Savor the Lehigh Valley

From food to advanced manufacturing, Lehigh Valley’s makers are fueling sustainable progress for the East Coast and beyond.

By Kristin Cahayla-Hoffman, Vice President of Business Development & Attraction, Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation

Long a powerhouse of industrial manufacturing, Lehigh Valley, PA has become a major hub for producing beverages and food, including some of the world’s most iconic brands, for people and pets.

Lehigh Valley is a dynamic, two-county region in eastern Pennsylvania that is among the fastest growing in the Northeast and encompasses the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton. Ranked among the Top 15% of U.S. manufacturing markets by Gross Domestic Product, the Lehigh Valley has over 700 manufacturers churning out 16% of the regional GDP, which is well above the national average.

Those manufacturers include global food and beverage brands such as Coca-Cola, Ocean Spray, Boston Beer Co., Nestle Purina, Freshpet, Bimbo Bakeries, and Bakerly/Norac. They are joined by regional and local standouts such as Just Born, maker of the iconic Peeps marshmallow candies.

Since 2010, manufacturing employment in the Lehigh Valley has surged three times as fast as the U.S., 28.8% compared to 9.6%. The food and beverage industry, in particular, has seen remarkable growth, with employment increasing by 76% over that time.

That growth is driven by strategic advantages of location, workforce, and heritage.

Located within a day’s drive of one-third of the U.S. population, the region provides immediate proximity to major consumer markets along the East Coast and the Midwest along with the Ports of New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia. An extensive freight rail network includes an intermodal facility just 15 minutes from Lehigh Valley International Airport, Pennsylvania’s second-largest air cargo hub that is undergoing a major expansion.

Lehigh Valley’s location advantages make it an ideal hub for companies looking to speed goods to market, a leading commercial real estate economist said in September at the Office and Industrial Property Summit of the Philadelphia chapter of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors® (SIOR).

“If you want to beef up the speed at which your goods are getting to consumers, this is a great market to do that,” Adrian Ponsen, Senior Economist at Cushman & Wakefield, said at the summit, held in Bethlehem.

Ponsen presented data showing the Lehigh Valley is the No. 1 metro area in the U.S. for proximity to population within a four-hour truck drive, being able to reach just shy of 50 million people.

A skilled workforce of 1.8 million is replenished annually with more than 10,000 graduates from 11 colleges and universities, and another 1,000 graduates from three career and technical education high schools.

A unique apprenticeship program, the Industrial Training and Education Consortium (iTEC) trains workers for careers in advanced manufacturing, based on the German apprenticeship model.

Initiatives like the annual “What’s So Cool About Manufacturing” video contest inspire middle school students to explore manufacturing careers while highlighting companies in their communities, including those in the food and beverage industry.

This modern strength is rooted in a long local tradition. The region’s food production heritage dates to the mid-1700s, when Moravian settlers in Bethlehem established a self-sustaining economy that integrated farming, craft production, and trade — laying the foundation for the region’s enduring link between agriculture and manufacturing.

This legacy continues today.

In 2023, Just Born, which makes Mike & Ike and Peanut Chews, in addition to Peeps, celebrated 100 years in the Lehigh Valley. Coca- Cola has operated a syrup plant in the region since 1997. Nearly half of all dog and cat food production jobs in Pennsylvania are in the Lehigh Valley.

Building on this rich history, the Lehigh Valley continues to attract significant new investments. Major investments from this year alone include:

“This location made perfect sense, both proximity to the ports and the workforce,” said Gokhan Kacmaz, Chief Financial Officer of Kervan USA. “We saw a big opportunity. All this made the Lehigh Valley a great location to make this investment.”

Innovation thrives in the Lehigh Valley through nationally recognized research institutions such as the Rodale Institute, pioneers in organic agriculture, and Penn State Extension, which applies agricultural science to real-world industry practices. The Lehigh Valley also stands out for its concentration in cold storage, with employment concentration that’s 6.1 times the national average—highlighting its expertise in temperature-controlled logistics and reinforcing its leadership in food production and distribution.

So, what’s next? The region will continue to invest in its people by providing advanced workforce programs tailored to the evolving needs of the manufacturing sector. A key asset will be iTEC, a partnership of industry, education, and community organizations.

We’ll stay attuned to commercial real estate trends and deliver the resources food and beverage companies need to thrive, including developing a skilled workforce.

As one of the nation’s most dynamic manufacturing markets, the Lehigh Valley continues to blend tradition with transformation—where a centuries-old foundation in food production now fuels a modern ecosystem of making and moving goods. In the Lehigh Valley, companies don’t just make products, they make progress, driving sustainable growth for the East Coast and beyond.

About the Author:
Ms. Cahayla-Hoffman leads LVEDC’s business attraction, expansion, and retention initiatives. This includes implementing strategic marketing campaigns to attract companies from targeted industry sectors to the Lehigh Valley and reaching out to existing companies to understand their successes and challenges and support them in staying and growing here. She came to LVEDC in 2022 after more than a decade of experience in corporate real estate at Air Products. Ms. Cahayla-Hoffman also worked as a financial analyst at Air Products and a senior economic support analyst at Mack Trucks. She is a graduate of Muhlenberg College and has an MBA from Lehigh University. She is a board member of the International Asset Management Council (IAMC), a leading industrial real estate trade association

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