Three Upper Macungie Developments in Magazine's Top 10

Three Upper Macungie businesses, Ocean Spray, Bimbo Bakeries and Westport Axle have been recognized by Area Development magazine among 10 projects that earned the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania a coveted Silver Shovel Award.

The honor acknowledges the states that were most successful in driving significant job growth and securing investments in new and expanding facilities.

Ocean Spray, Bimbo Bakeries and Westport Axle ranked second, sixth and tenth, respectively, in Pennsylvania's top 10 list.

Collectively, the three projects will create 778 new jobs. The combined project costs total more than $215 million.

• Ocean Spray is building a 225,000 square foot bottling plant on 44 acres between Schantz Road and Route 100. The plant is expected to employ 185 people.

• Bimbo Bakeries is building its new 240,000 square-foot facility on 30 acres that it has purchased at 105 Boulder Drive. The $75 million, state-of-the-art bakery in Upper Macungie will bring more than 100 jobs to the area and produce bread and buns for the Northeast.

• Westport Axle is expanding and bringing more than 518 jobs within three years to a 516,800-square-foot warehouse facility next to Amazon.com at 650 Boulder Drive in Breinigsville.

"The Lehigh Valley has carved out a well-earned reputation for having an outstanding business climate and versatile workforce," said Don Cunningham, president and CEO of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp. in a statement. "These and other factors have played a vital role in us being able to land the manufacturing and production operations of large companies. This award is a recognition of the regional and collective effort the Lehigh Valley puts forward by having business, government and economic development leaders work together to make our region attractive to new companies."