R. SCOTT UNGER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, ALLENTOWN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORP ., ALLENTOWN

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Working with partners such as the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corp., Lehigh County, Allentown and the private sector, the nonprofit AEDC has helped to fund and manage major development, redevelop brownfields and mentor aspiring manufacturers.

It also owns, operates or manages close to 2 million square feet of property, more than 400,000 square feet of which is rehabilitated manufacturing and industrial property.

At the helm of the AEDC the past decade, executive director R. Scott Unger has led much of the organization’s most important efforts, making him one of the most influential people on business in the Greater Lehigh Valley.

“Work is engaging to me as a result of living in the area,” Unger said. “It’s much more than a job for me.”

BROWNFIELD REUSE

Unger said one of the most important aspects of his job isn’t just to rehab old properties or to create well-paying jobs, but to do it in a sustainable way.

Redeveloping brownfields doesn’t rob the region of open spaces or create sprawling infrastructure issues that may be a future problem, he said.

“The impact of land use is pretty long-standing,” Unger said. “These are somewhat permanent decisions. A lot of the development that has happened over the last 30 to 40 years isn’t sustainable.”

One of the region’s strongest advocates for brownfield rehabilitation, Unger and his agency promote properties for sale, as well as improve them to usable condition. They also help with financing so the properties become more appealing to potential investors or users.

INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS

Unger notes the region’s old cities, such as Allentown, have aging infrastructure, including gas pipes, water lines and other conduits.

Many are failing, and the cost to repair them has been high.

Those projects, he noted, are in fairly condensed urban areas, making them somewhat easier to navigate.

When conduits that lead to rural and suburban industrial, commercial and residential developments begin to fail – and he emphasizes that someday they will – those will be even more costly and difficult projects to manage.

MANUFACTURING STARTUPS

Unger’s agency also oversees the Allentown Bridgeworks Enterprise Center, which provides  incubator space for new manufacturers.

He said the facility is rare in the incubator field.

“Most incubators are for technology companies,” Unger said.

Bridgeworks concentrates on manufacturing, which has very different needs, including for more space.

SENSE OF COMMUNITY

The agency gives a generous definition to manufacturing.

While it has tenants that tets lighting components and and another that recycles plastics, it also houses a craft beer brewer, meadery and micro-spirits distiller, which often host events and bring a social aspect to the local manufacturing scene.

That is something that Unger enjoys.

“I value the sense of community. My wife [Michele] and I have made the city our home for the last 20 years,” he said. “We have great neighbors and friends.”