Keep pulling the thread on Matt Turk.
Allentown was awarded a strategic development grant in December 2023 and a subsequent $20 million investment for implementation from the Economic Development Administration's Recompete pilot project.
Eli Lilly announced a $3.5 billion investment to build a new facility just outside Allentown, which is expected to create approximately 850 jobs.
Approximately 17% of jobs in the Allentown region are currently in the manufacturing sector.
A specific neighborhood in Allentown with a population of 23,000 people has a prime age employment gap of approximately 12%.
The Urban Manufacturing Alliance was formed as a collaboration between Allentown, San Francisco, the Pratt Institute, the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation, and Detroit to support urban manufacturing.
Allentown, Pennsylvania is located within a one-day drive of over 100 million people, representing approximately 40% of the U.S. population.
The city of Allentown received a planning grant from the federal Safe Streets for All program.
The Western Electric plant in Allentown, which shut down in the 1970s, evolved into a company that eventually became part of Broadcom.
In the 1980s, Mack Trucks shifted most of its production from Allentown to a plant in Macungie, which remains operational.
The Bethlehem Steel plant in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, ceased operations with its final cast in approximately 1998.
In 2006, Olympus relocated its North American headquarters to suburban Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has launched an aggressive economic development strategy to attract diverse investment to the state.