PA Chamber CEO highlights made in Pennsylvania products

A Conversation With: Luke Bernstein, president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry

Luke Bernstein is president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. With more than 20 years of experience in business, government, and public policy, he has held leadership roles in the private sector, state government, and as an appointed advisor in the administration of President George W. Bush.

LVB: Why is it important for the PA Chamber to promote products that are made in the state?

Bernstein: Pennsylvania companies make some of the greatest products in the world, and those innovations and contributions are worth celebrating! Shining a spotlight on all the incredible products made in Pennsylvania helps highlight the innovation and quality goods coming out of our state. Doing so helps support local businesses, jobs, and strengthens the overall economy. It’s also a great way to celebrate all the creativity and the entrepreneurial spirit that makes Pennsylvania the very best state in the nation to make things.

LVB: What are some of the ways the chamber promotes Made in PA products?

Bernstein: One of our biggest initiatives is the Coolest Thing Made in PA competition. It’s a popular bracket-style contest held each March – coinciding with the NCAA basketball tournament – where we showcase products from across the state and let the public vote on their favorites.

We also use social media, video content, and events to spotlight Pennsylvania companies and the people behind them. The goal is to give these businesses visibility, drive consumer interest, and show the entire world what Pennsylvania has to offer. We’ve had millions of impressions and thousands of votes over the past few years we’ve held this competition, and the best part is that it’s all been organic!

LVB: What are some of your favorite products made in the state?

Bernstein: There are so many…it’s like trying to pick my favorite child when they are both behaving! I’m a big fan of companies that combine quality with innovation, like the folks at world-renowned Martin Guitars, or the full Rock Lititz team, including Tait and Clair Global, do.

Classic products like Crayola Crayons and BWP bats are made here, as well as the steel that has built most of America. Companies like Acutec, Armstrong World Industries, Astrobotic, Aurora, B. Braun, East Penn Manufacturing, Lockheed Martin, Olympus, and Pride Mobility are pushing the bounds of innovation – and life sciences companies like Bayer, Kenvue, Merck, and so many others

make some of the world’s most desired and important products here. The life sciences sector here is leading the world in development.

At the same time, like many fellow Pennsylvanians, I often think with my stomach! Some of the best food in the world is made here, with classics like Peeps, Middleswarth and Utz Potato Chips, Auntie Anne’s, Bassett’s Ice Cream, Hershey’s and Asher’s Chocolate. We have incredible beer made in PA, like Troegs, Pizza Boy, and of course, my personal favorite, the unofficial beverage of PA, Yuengling Lager. Murren River at Pizza Boy, Broken Heels at New Trail, Hop Hands at Tired Hands, are just a few of the incredible IPAs that made-in-PA beer enthusiasts should try, but there are so many! PA should be the Napa Valley of craft beer!

I am always cautious to name companies because there are just so many, and it’s impossible to name them all. Every time I name a few, I get rightly heckled from companies whose products I forgot – but they usually send samples to us, and we get introduced to even more new and incredible products made in PA.

And while food and beer are great, it is truly remarkable how many advanced manufacturing innovations and everyday items that have a real impact on people’s lives are made here in the Commonwealth. The Coolest Thing Made in PA competition really makes you appreciate the diversity of products coming out of Pennsylvania, in every region of our state.

LVB: How important is manufacturing to the Pennsylvania economy?

Bernstein: Manufacturing is a cornerstone of Pennsylvania’s economy, generating more than $116 billion in economic activity every single year and employing 1 in 10 of our state’s residents. This is not just your grandparents’ traditional manufacturing, either – it’s increasingly high-tech, research-driven, and innovative. This is a really exciting time to be making things in Pennsylvania. A strong manufacturing sector supports jobs, drives growth in related industries, and positions Pennsylvania as a competitive state for business investment and growth.