Governor Tom Wolf today joined Evonik, an international leader in specialty chemicals manufacturing, for a ribbon cutting celebrating the opening of their new Allentown Innovation Hub. There, he highlighted his $2.5 million investment that will create 50 high-value jobs and build on Pennsylvania’s strength as a center for advanced manufacturing.

“This exciting, state-of-the-art space will support Evonik’s global growth and bring new, good-paying jobs to the Allentown region,” said Gov. Wolf. “When I took office in 2015, I promised to support and create jobs that pay – this $2.5 million investment is one project out of more than 420 to create and retain more than 191,000 jobs, it’s a promise fulfilled.”

Evonik selected its current location in Trexlertown for expansion rather than relocating the operation to a company location in another state. Evonik purchased its leased manufacturing facility to construct a new business and technology center. The center includes more than 60 specialized laboratories for new product development and testing. Evonik has invested more than $50 million into the project.

Evonik received a $2.5 million Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant, coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team (GAT). With support from this investment, Evonik will create more than 50 new jobs and retain 277 existing jobs at the project site and across Pennsylvania.  

“Allentown is an increasingly important part of our footprint in North America,” said Bonnie Tully, Evonik’s President North America region. “The opening of our Innovation Hub marks the next phase of our growth trajectory in the region.”

Through GAT, Gov. Wolf has invested nearly $17.8 billion over the past seven years to partner with nearly 430 companies to create and retain more than 191,000 jobs for Pennsylvanians.

Knowing that creating good paying jobs is only one piece of the puzzle, Gov. Wolf has long prioritized investments in programs that grow opportunities for hands-on learning in manufacturing. Gov. Wolf launched a Manufacturing Training-to-Career program in 2017, along with his Manufacturing PA Initiative, and has since funded 82 projects with more than $17.3 million. Gov. Wolf is committed to investing an additional $4.7 million in MTTC grants by the end of his administration. These investments ensure that Pennsylvanians are trained to succeed when good manufacturing jobs—like those created at Evonik—are made available.

Since Gov. Wolf first took office, the economic output of manufacturing in Pennsylvania rose from $85 billion in 2016 to more than $92 billion in 2021.