Commercial Electrical
- Retail stores433
- Manufacturing plants323
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Commercial building owners64
- Warehousing and distribution55
Commercial trades market · Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ
Appointment setting for commercial contractors in Allentown
Allentown-Bethlehem has 2,155 businesses with 20 or more people on site across the categories commercial trades sell to, and it leans toward warehousing and distribution and senior living and nursing more than the U.S. as a whole. Here is how each trade's market looks, where the buildings are and when to call.
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Trades in Allentown
How each commercial trade's market looks in Allentown-Bethlehem
Ranked by larger buildings per contractor against up to 100 markets (only markets with 10 or more contractors in a trade are ranked; n/r means not ranked). A higher rank means more buildings worth calling for every competitor working them.
| Trade | Contractors | 1-yr change | Larger buildings | Per contractor | Rank | Eligible targets | Push months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Electrical Largest buyer group: retail stores | 50 | 0 | 1,089 | 21.8 | #1 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Construction Largest buyer group: manufacturing companies | 77 | 0 | 710 | 9.2 | #3 | 2,275 | Year-round |
| Commercial HVAC & Mechanical Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 57 | -3 | 857 | 15.0 | #7 | 1,053 | Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct |
| Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial Largest buyer group: manufacturing plants | 174 | -1 | 901 | 5.2 | #13 | 727 | Year-round |
| Commercial Roofing Largest buyer group: retail stores | 12 | 0 | 1,160 | 96.7 | #16 | 2,275 | Feb–Apr |
| Paving & Asphalt Largest buyer group: retail stores | 20 | 0 | 1,106 | 55.3 | #20 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Painting & Coatings Largest buyer group: retail stores | 17 | -2 | 1,227 | 72.2 | #43 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Fire Protection Largest buyer group: restaurants | 31 | 0 | 1,136 | 36.6 | #65 | · | Year-round |
| Commercial Landscaping Largest buyer group: retail stores | 374 | +5 | 1,058 | 2.8 | #80 | · | Feb–Apr |
| Commercial Flooring Largest buyer group: ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care | 8 | 0 | 699 | 87.4 | n/r | · | Year-round |
Who each program calls
The industries each Allentown trade program prospects into
Every trade has its own target list. Here are the five largest target industries for each program in the Allentown-Bethlehem metro, with local location counts; each guide lists all ten and who your SDR asks for.
Commercial Construction
- Manufacturing companies323
- Senior living operators109
- Commercial building owners and developers64
- Auto dealership groups51
- Private K-12 schools42
Commercial HVAC & Mechanical
- Manufacturing plants323
- Medical and dental office buildings241
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Warehousing and distribution55
- Private K-12 schools42
Commercial Cleaning & Janitorial
- Manufacturing plants323
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care241
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings64
- Auto dealerships51
Commercial Roofing
- Retail stores433
- Manufacturing plants323
- Apartment property management firms91
- Commercial building owners and lessors64
- Warehousing and distribution55
Paving & Asphalt
- Retail stores433
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics241
- Apartment property management firms91
- Truck transportation companies70
- Commercial building owners and lessors64
Commercial Painting & Coatings
- Retail stores433
- Manufacturing plants323
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Apartment and multifamily management companies91
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings64
Fire Protection
- Restaurants437
- Manufacturing plants323
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Apartment management companies91
- Warehousing and distribution55
Commercial Landscaping
- Retail stores433
- Ambulatory health care offices and clinics241
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Apartment property management firms91
- Commercial building owners and lessors64
Commercial Flooring
- Ambulatory health care: physician, dental, outpatient and urgent care241
- Senior living and skilled nursing109
- Apartment and multifamily management companies91
- Owner-occupied and owner-managed commercial buildings64
- Warehousing and distribution55
Locations with 20 or more employees, U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Property management and similar categories count every company, whatever its size.
What's being built
The projects shaping Allentown-Bethlehem
Named, sourced projects current as of 2026-09, and the trades each one puts to work.
Chobani Lehigh Valley Manufacturing and Warehouse Campus
$1.2 billionAnnounced September 2026, production scheduled to begin 2027
Chobani's 1.5 million sq ft dairy manufacturing and warehouse campus in the former Keurig Dr Pepper plant in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County.
Converting an existing plant to dairy production means refrigeration and process mechanical work, new electrical capacity, food-grade floor coatings and sanitation-focused cleaning programs before the 2027 start.
Area Development, 2026-09-04 →Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg Emergency Department Expansion
Under construction, expansion due fall 2026, renovations due spring 2027
A three-story addition at LVH-Muhlenberg in Bethlehem that doubles the emergency department to 83 beds and adds a helipad, imaging rooms and a 26-bed trauma recovery space.
As the addition closes out in late 2026, renovation of the existing emergency space follows into 2027, keeping mechanical, electrical, flooring and painting crews on site, and the larger department adds healthcare cleaning demand.
Lehigh Valley Health Network, 2025-06-04 →LVHN Neighborhood Hospital, Hellertown
90,000 sq ftOpening mid-2026
A three-story building on Main Street in Hellertown, Northampton County, with an emergency room and 10 inpatient beds on the first floor and medical offices, imaging and lab services above.
A new hospital and medical office building on a remediated brownfield site needs healthcare cleaning, HVAC service, fire protection inspections and site upkeep once occupied.
Lehigh Valley Health Network, 2025-03-04 →Prologis Data Center, 2500 Liberty Drive
1 million sq ftApproved by Allen Township March 2026, regional planning review April 2026
A plan to convert a 1 million sq ft warehouse at 2500 Liberty Drive in Allen Township, Northampton County, into a data center.
A warehouse-to-data-center conversion is mostly electrical and mechanical work: new power distribution, cooling systems and upgraded fire suppression, plus roofing work to support rooftop equipment.
Lehigh Valley Public Media, 2026-04-22 → Where the buyers cluster
The owners that anchor Allentown-Bethlehem
Health systems, campuses, large employers and industrial parks hold the biggest concentrations of commercial buildings here. Each fact links to its source, checked 2026-10.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (Jefferson Health)
Allentown, Lehigh County
LVHN says it comprises 15 hospital campuses plus numerous health centers, physician practices, rehabilitation locations, ExpressCARE sites and other outpatient care locations, with Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest as its flagship.
The flagship Cedar Crest campus, the Muhlenberg and 17th Street hospitals and a long list of outpatient and ExpressCARE sites each carry mechanical, life-safety, flooring and cleaning needs.
Lehigh Valley Health Network →St. Luke's University Hospital - Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Northampton County
St. Luke's describes its Bethlehem hospital, the main campus of St. Luke's University Health Network, as a 400-bed facility and an Adult Level I Trauma Center.
A large teaching campus with a children's hospital and ER on site, plus network hospitals and outpatient sites across the valley, runs around-the-clock HVAC, electrical and fire protection systems.
St. Luke's University Health Network →Lehigh University
Bethlehem, Northampton County
Lehigh's facilities office says the university has four campuses consisting of 2,355 acres and 160 buildings measuring 4,547,569 gross square feet.
Academic buildings, residence halls and Greek houses spread across the Asa Packer, Mountaintop and Goodman campuses need roofing, painting, grounds and mechanical work.
Lehigh University Facilities →Mack Trucks Lehigh Valley Operations
Lower Macungie Township, Lehigh County
Mack says its Lehigh Valley Operations assembly plant at 7000 Alburtis Road is a 1.7 million square-foot facility that has operated since 1975.
A heavy-truck assembly plant with cab and chassis lines and a truck modification center has large roof areas, process electrical loads, truck yards and fire protection to maintain.
Mack Trucks →Air Products global headquarters
Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation reported at the 2019 groundbreaking that the $400 million headquarters on a 50-acre tract in Upper Macungie Township would be the base of 2,000 employees.
A corporate campus with an office tower, R&D labs and a parking structure needs janitorial, HVAC, landscaping and parking-deck upkeep.
Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation →Lehigh Valley Industrial Park (LVIP)
Bethlehem, Northampton County
LVIP says its business centers are home to approximately 500 companies and an estimated 24,000 employees, with seven parks in Northampton and Lehigh Counties including LVIP VII at the Bethlehem Commerce Center.
Warehouses, distribution buildings, plants and offices across seven parks share needs for roofing, paving, electrical and fire protection.
Lehigh Valley Industrial Park, Inc. →Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE)
Hanover Township, Lehigh County
The airport says 1,067,114 passengers used ABE in 2025, up 5.4% from 2024, and 301,979,109 pounds of air cargo were processed, up 21.0%.
The passenger terminal, cargo buildings and surface parking need cleaning, HVAC service and pavement upkeep.
Lehigh Valley International Airport → The local business base
Who the buyers are in Allentown-Bethlehem
Compared with the national mix, Allentown-Bethlehem over-indexes on warehousing and distribution, senior living and nursing and auto dealerships. The fastest-growing categories over the past year: grocery stores (+11), wholesale distributors (+10) and restaurants (+8).
| Category | Sites with 20+ | All establishments | vs. U.S. mix | 1-yr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 437 | 1,786 | 1.45x | +8 |
| Retail stores | 433 | 2,521 | 1.35x | -10 |
| Manufacturing plants | 323 | 826 | 1.39x | -1 |
| Medical, dental and outpatient offices | 241 | 1,611 | 1.17x | -7 |
| Wholesale distributors | 168 | 814 | 0.84x | +10 |
| Senior living and nursing | 109 | 242 | 1.87x | -5 |
| Grocery stores | 81 | 451 | 1.56x | +11 |
| Trucking companies | 70 | 534 | 1.53x | -20 |
| Warehousing and distribution | 55 | 110 | 4.17x | +5 |
| Auto dealerships | 51 | 148 | 1.80x | -4 |
| Private K-12 schools | 42 | 68 | 1.48x | +3 |
| Churches and religious organizations | 42 | 522 | 1.50x | 0 |
| Hotels | 33 | 81 | 0.90x | +7 |
| Bank and credit union offices | 25 | 335 | 1.16x | 0 |
| Hospitals | 15 | 20 | 1.03x | +2 |
| Golf courses and country clubs | 14 | 23 | 1.44x | -3 |
| Hosting and data processing companies | 8 | 57 | 0.74x | +8 |
| Colleges and universities | 5 | 10 | 0.53x | 0 |
| Apartment and residential property managers | 3 | 91 | 0.69x | +8 |
| Commercial property managers | 0 | 26 | 0.92x | -2 |
| Nonresidential building owners | 0 | 64 | 1.25x | -4 |
Territory
Where the business sites are
Lehigh County, Northampton County and Warren County hold 97% of the metro's larger business sites. Most programs start in those counties and add the outer 1 county for larger accounts, depending on how far your crews travel.
| County | Larger business sites |
|---|---|
| Lehigh County | 1,048 |
| Northampton County | 753 |
| Warren County, New Jersey | 196 |
| Carbon County | 58 |
Climate and timing
Allentown's year, month by month
Outdoor trades (roofing, paving, landscaping, exterior painting) work the months with lows of 40°F or above and sell in the months before. HVAC sells ahead of its heating and cooling peaks. Each trade page has its own calendar.
- Jan36° / 19°Off-season
- Feb40° / 20°Off-season
- Mar48° / 27°Off-season
- Apr61° / 37°Off-season
- May71° / 47°Outdoor season
- Jun79° / 56°Outdoor season
- Jul84° / 61°Outdoor season
- Aug82° / 59°Outdoor season
- Sep75° / 52°Outdoor season
- Oct63° / 41°Outdoor season
- Nov52° / 32°Off-season
- Dec41° / 24°Off-season
Working in Pennsylvania
Contractor licensing in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has no state license for most construction contractors, and the Attorney General's home improvement registration applies only to residential work, not commercial properties. Licensing is handled locally, with Philadelphia and Pittsburgh both requiring contractor and trade licenses.
Trade-by-trade rules are on each trade page. Confirm with Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry. Checked 2026-09-30.
Hiring locally
What an in-house SDR costs in Allentown
Before you hire a sales development rep in Allentown, price the whole job, not just the salary. Here is the local pay for sales representatives, and what a first year really costs once you add commission, payroll taxes and benefits, tools, recruiting and the manager time it takes to coach them.
- $59,410median pay for a sales rep in the Allentown metro
- $47,610 to $82,130middle half of local pay (25th to 75th percentile)
- 3,430people in the role locally, all competing for the same hires
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services and travel (SOC 41-3091).
In-house SDR, first year$119,613
Abstrakt Growth program, full-time SDR, 12 months$102,000
In-house adds $15,000 commission, 25% payroll taxes and benefits, $500/month tools, $5,000 recruiting and 4 manager hours a week at $75/hour, before ramp time or turnover. Abstrakt includes the SDR, management, tools and data.
How Abstrakt works in Allentown
Outsourced appointment setting, one trade per market
Abstrakt's U.S.-based business development reps build a Allentown target list around your trade, service area and ideal buildings, work it by phone, email, LinkedIn and direct mail, and book meetings with the people who sign. We will not run the same program for a direct competitor in your territory.
Selling into Pennsylvania? See the Pennsylvania outbound calling rules: do-not-call lists, calling hours and registration, so you know what a program here has to handle.
Allentown commercial trades, answered
Does Abstrakt set appointments for commercial contractors in Allentown?
Yes. Abstrakt runs outsourced appointment setting for commercial trades across the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metro: our U.S.-based business development reps call the buildings, qualify the opportunity and book meetings with the person who signs. We run one program per trade per market.
Which commercial trades have the most room to grow in Allentown?
Measured by larger buildings per contractor against the 100 markets we track (where a trade has at least 10 local contractors), commercial Electrical (#1), commercial Construction (#3) and commercial HVAC & Mechanical (#7) rank best in Allentown.
What kinds of businesses are concentrated in Allentown?
Compared with the national mix, Allentown-Bethlehem has more warehousing and distribution (4.17x), senior living and nursing (1.87x) and auto dealerships (1.80x). Those industries are the best-represented buyers for trades that serve them.
Which counties make up the Allentown market?
The metro covers 4 counties. Lehigh County, Northampton County and Warren County hold 97% of the larger business sites, so most programs start there.
Sources and method
- Contractors and business-category change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2, Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ.
- Business sites by size and county: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023. Suppressed size classes count as zero.
- Climate: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv county monthly series, 1991-2020 averages.
- Projects: sources linked on each project card.
- Anchor owners: sources linked on each card, read 2026-10.
- Eligible targets: Abstrakt territory record counts, 2026-10; estimated decision-maker records Abstrakt can prospect per program, shown for HVAC, roofing, construction and cleaning.
- Photo: Downtown Allentown at dusk with the PPL Building lit, by Raymond Kotewicz on Unsplash.
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