Gov Shapiro’s Remarks as Prepared for Lehigh Valley EcDev Corp. Annual Meeting | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Bethlehem, PA - Today, Governor Josh Shapiro delivered remarks to the 2026 Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation's Annual Meeting, highlighting the Commonwealth's major economic victories over the last three years and the Shapiro Administration's work to grow Pennsylvania's economy.

See below for Governor Shapiro's remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you, Don - happy St. Patrick's Day!

And thank you for your leadership of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Council over the last 14 years -

Your commitment to public service here in this community has made a real difference.

Not just as a County Executive, a Mayor, and a cabinet secretary under Governor Rendell…

…But as a true civic leader who has brought people together with one goal: making the Lehigh Valley a better place to live - and a better place for companies to grow and thrive.

Today, the Valley is a leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation.

And that's because of leaders like Don - and all of you here today, from the private sector and public service.

You know, last time I addressed this event, I was your newly elected Governor, just a few months into my term.

I laid down a marker here.

I told you then that I wanted us to compete.

I shared my vision for moving at the speed of business, and taking the collaborative example you set here in Lehigh Valley across the Commonwealth.

Because look, before I took office, Pennsylvania wasn't competing for big private sector deals.

Our permitting processes were too slow.

Our economic development toolkit was outdated and underfunded -

Despite having an extraordinary workforce trained in our union halls and our top-notch universities, too many were forced to look elsewhere for good jobs instead of staying right here at home.

We weren't connecting the dots between all of the assets we had here in Pennsylvania.

We weren't on the playing field.

That's changed dramatically over the last three years.

And today, I'm proud to come back to the Valley and stand before you to report that not only is Pennsylvania competing again - we are winning!

And the Lehigh Valley is a leader in that effort.

We're building new industrial sites that will host factories and labs and power plants.

We're improving our Main Streets and supporting the small businesses that line them.

And on my watch, we've achieved record economic growth.

In just three years, we've worked with the private sector to create over 22,000 jobs and secured over $40.4 billion in private sector investment -

That's more than the previous 15 years, combined!

That includes billions of dollars and thousands of new jobs from companies who are investing right here in the Lehigh Valley.

Companies like Kerry Group - a global food and beverage company based in Ireland - who is investing here in the Valley, buying a plant in Hanover township where they will roast and extract coffee and create 61 new jobs.

Companies like Schless Bottles, who relocated its manufacturing facility from New Jersey to Allentown, creating 98 new jobs in the process.

And of course, companies like Eli Lilly and Company who is setting up shop here in this community, making the largest investment in life sciences in Pennsylvania history!

$3.5 billion and 2,800 new jobs.

That's happening here, in the Lehigh Valley.

Alongside local government and economic development leaders like Don, Mayor Reynolds and Mayor Tuerk, and County Executives Siegel and Zrinski, we are creating real economic opportunity for our people and our businesses and our communities.

But it's not just here in the Lehigh Valley -

We've taken the work we've done here and expanded it all across our Commonwealth.

We did it by taking 4 concrete steps to make sure Pennsylvania is a leader when it comes to economic development.

First, we've put the right people in place - leaders like Secretary Rick Siger from the Department of Community and Economic Development and Ben Kirshner, who you heard from earlier today.

And Secretary Pat Browne, who is an integral part of so many deals.

Second, we brought Republicans and Democrats together in a divided legislature to invest over half a billion into economic development.

Third, we worked aggressively to reform our permitting process and speed up government - slashing wait times, reducing backlogs, and finally fixing our permitting processes.

We went from the bottom of the pack to the top.

And fourth, we developed a plan - creating the first comprehensive economic development strategy for Pennsylvania in two decades.

I announced that plan more than two years ago - half a mile away from here at OraSure's facility in Bethlehem.

In that plan, we put a point of emphasis on life sciences as one of our 5 pillars of opportunity for the future.

Because life sciences is an industry where we are poised for explosive innovation and growth.

Case in point, this morning, we announced that TerraPower Isotopes is moving into the Bellwether District in Philadelphia to manufacture cancer-fighting drugs using nuclear science.

TerraPower looked at more than 350 different sites across the country for this project.

And in the end they chose to invest $450 million to open this facility in Pennsylvania and create 225 new jobs - because they recognize the real momentum we're seeing in the life sciences.

And it's not just in cities like Philly or Pittsburgh - but in places like the Lehigh Valley thanks to its rich tradition in innovation and manufacturing.

That's why global life sciences companies like B.Braun have made the Lehigh Valley home for over 45 years, and under my Administration, they're investing another $20 million to grow their footprint here.

It's why we were able to convince Lilly, the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world - to make the biggest life sciences investment in the Commonwealth's history nearby in Fogelsville.

Over the last nearly two years, my Administration - in collaboration with Don - pushed hard to get Lilly to come to the Lehigh Valley.

We were aggressive and we refused to take no for an answer - and because we're bullish on this region and its success.

We believed in the potential of this region - and now major companies like Lilly are investing $3.5 billion to build a new manufacturing facility that's going to create thousands of jobs in construction and the life sciences.

That's just one example of how the Lehigh Valley has proven itself time and again over the years as a major player when it comes to economic development.

And it's thanks to the collective work of this great organization - and all of you - who have worked to develop a focused plan that plays to this region's strengths to attract investment and create real opportunity.

Today, the Lehigh Valley stands as a model for communities across the county to follow.

But don't take just my word for it.

Just two weeks ago, Site Selector named this region the number one mid-sized market in the entire country for economic development.

That's an incredible achievement - and a testament to work you've done as a group to put the Lehigh Valley on the map and an economic region on the rise.

The budget I announced last month builds on that momentum we're seeing here in the Valley and across all Pennsylvania to continue that rise.

From capitalizing on the momentum and excitement we are seeing in the life sciences by spurring innovation, providing funds for clinical research trials, and backing startups who are ready to commercialize their brilliant ideas…

To boosting grant initiatives like PA First that are strengthening our talent pipeline…

And doubling down on our commitment to growing our main streets - including America's best Main Street, right here in Bethlehem.

Pennsylvania is on the rise.

And it's because of the work we've done to make our Commonwealth competitive again by working with our local economic development groups, making targeted investments that capitalize on our strengths, and leaning in on the areas where we have the most potential to grow.

For 31 consecutive months, our unemployment rate has been below the national average.

Last year, we ranked 3rd in the entire country for the number of jobs gained - behind only Texas and North Carolina.

Think about that!

Under my Administration's leadership, Site Selector Magazine named us the top state in the Northeast for economic competitiveness.

Forbes rated us one of the best states in the country to start a business.

And a Moody's analysis showed that we have the only growing economy in the Northeast.

That's all because of the work we've done to make Pennsylvania more competitive.

But we're not resting on our laurels. We're going to keep at it.

We're going to take inspiration from the Valley's history of leadership and innovation.

Because this community has been an economic leader for over 175 years.

Just behind me - across the street from where we now gather - the SteelStacks of Bethlehem Steel remind us of that history.

For the first 140 years, that leadership looked like that blast furnace and the molten hot steel it produced.

Steel that would be used to build the Empire State Building and the Golden Gate Bridge - and protect our freedoms overseas.

Today, that leadership looks like high-tech manufacturing and life sciences innovation that will save lives.

And while that innovation may look different, it all starts in the same place.

Right here in the Lehigh Valley, in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania is competing again - and we are winning.

We have the right leaders in place - leaders like Don Cunningham.

We have a strategic plan - and we are funding it.

And we are moving at the speed of business.

Pennsylvania is on the rise - and the Lehigh Valley is leading the way.

Thank you for your partnership.

I look forward to all we'll continue to accomplish together in the years to come.

Thank you.