Hottest spot north of Havana? Economically, it's the Lehigh Valley
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — As far as Tony Iannelli is concerned, the title to the song "Copacabana" may need a rewrite.
Yes, Iannelli, the 73-year-old ringmaster and executive director of the Greater Chamber of Commerce, chose Thursday to belt out Barry Manilow's 1978 Grammy Award-winning hit during a glittering Broadway-level extravaganza at the chamber's annual meeting and awards luncheon at Wind Creek Event Center.
But to Iannelli, the hottest economic spot north of Havana is the Lehigh Valley.
The annual celebration drew an estimated 1,000 members of the Greater Lehigh Valley business community who gathered among colleagues, customers and competitors to celebrate their collective mission of making the region a better place to work and live.
The Lehigh Valley logged more economic development projects in America in 2023 than any similarly sized market, according to Site Selection magazine.
The region's Gross Domestic Product recently topped $50 billion.
That's hot.
"Sometimes, you're at the right place at the right time — and we're at the right place," said Iannelli, who is in his 27th year as head of the chamber.
"Geographically, we sort of had a resurgence after the end of the whole Mack Truck [production plant relocation in the early 1980s] and the [1995] closing of Bethlehem Steel.
"To really feel the highs, you have to have felt the low. And we felt the low. But now, we're on a high."
The annual meeting included the presentation of several awards to Lehigh Valley civic, cultural, health, military and entertainment organizations.
Milestone Awards went to:
"I thank you for showing our community that people with disabilities are valuable members of our community," LifePath Chief Executive Officer Sue Leyburn said.
"I urge everyone to take advantage of this gem we have in the Lehigh Valley," Executive Director Al Jacobsen said upon receiving the award.
"You don't have to go to Philadelphia or New York to hear great music."
"It's our people that make LVHN special," Jefferson Chief Executive Officer Dr. Joe Cacchione, who accepted the award, said.
"I've seen how committed they are to improving people's lives."
Volunteer of the Year Award was presented to the Veterans & Military Brush-Up Committee. The volunteer-driven initiative honors veterans and their families by providing exterior home painting services.
"This is just about doing things to help people in the Lehigh Valley that need our help," said Tom Applebaum, Lehigh County Director, Office of Veterans Affairs, and Brush-Up founder.
'In a celebratory move'
Business of the Year Award went to PPL Center/Lehigh Valley Phantoms, who are celebrating their 10th season.
Iannelli moderated a Business Matters Live! panel discussion on the center and the hockey franchise, with Lee Butz, chairman of the board of Alvin H. Butz construction company in Allentown, and brothers Jim and Rob Brooks, owners of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
The Butz Company built the PPL Center.
"That first night, when the Eagles opened up the center, it felt like more than just a building," Butz said. "It became a living thing."
The Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce is the largest and most active business networking organization in and around the Lehigh Valley, engaging nearly 5,000 businesses and members who employ more than 280,000 people.
It's greatly responsible for the resurgence in the Lehigh Valley.
"When Billy Joel wrote the song, 'Allentown,' it hurt, it stings," Iannelli said about the song about unemployed steelworkers.
"It's really clear that we were at the bottom back then. Now we see the horizon, if you will, and we see the top.
"Now, today, we're in a celebratory move. That's what this event today is all about."
