Bucks Co. Joins Regional Economic Partnership To Grow Jobs, Strengthen Competitiveness

DOYLESTOWN, PA — Regional leaders, including economic and workforce development organizations from Bucks County, on Tuesday launched an ambitious collaborative effort to grow quality jobs and strengthen economic competitiveness in Southeastern Pennsylvania with the formation of the Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership.

.The Partnership is a new business-led, cross-sector entity created to drive more robust economic growth and expand opportunity for regional residents. The Partnership launched alongside the release of a regional growth strategy developed by economic and workforce development leaders from all five Southeastern Pennsylvania counties – Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia – to help guide shared priorities, investments, and action.

In Bucks County, the effort is anchored by the Bucks County Industrial Development Authority and the Bucks County Workforce and Economic Development Department, which are joining regional partners to ensure that local employers, workers, and communities benefit from a stronger, more competitive Southeastern Pennsylvania economy.

Economic Steve Forster, director, Montgomery County Commerce Department. (John Welsh)

Among those in attendance was Brett Perkins of Comcast Corp. (John Welsh)

Chris Gheysens, the CEO of Wawa, addresses the group. (John Welsh)

“We are excited for the opportunities for economic growth and stability this partnership promises to deliver for families in our region,” said Bucks County Commissioner Chair Diane Ellis-Marseglia. “Our residents know that Bucks County is a great place to live and work, and a rising economic tide should lift living standards even higher.”

"Bucks County wins when the region wins,” said Bucks County Industrial Development Authority Executive Director Thomas (TJ) Lonergan. “This partnership gives us a coordinated way to go after the kinds of jobs and investment the Greater Philadelphia region deserves, and I'm proud to have Bucks at the table from day one.”

The Partnership is coming together to address two core challenges facing the region – sluggish job growth and declining economic mobility. Its initial programmatic efforts will focus on expanding capacity to execute core economic development functions like business expansion and attraction, regional marketing, research, and international engagement; focusing shared action around cluster-building in high-opportunity industries; and connecting talent to employer demand.

“This partnership marks a truly exciting and important step forward for our region,” said Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership Executive Director Claire Marrazzo Greenwood. “Southeastern Pennsylvania has always had the assets to compete. This effort represents a level of collaboration, focus, and commitment to spur growth unlike anything we have ever had in this region.”

The Partnership emerged from a sustained collaborative effort catalyzed by The Pew Charitable Trusts and supported by the Brookings Institution to develop a shared, data-driven approach to improve growth and mobility outcomes in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Over the past two years, local and regional economic and workforce development leaders have convened as the Southeastern Pennsylvania Economic Collaborative for an intensive planning and strategy development process leading up to today’s announcements.

“Pew is pleased to have built a solid foundation for this effort and proud to be a partner in making it happen,” said Pew senior vice president Donna Frisby-Greenwood. “Increasing access to upward economic mobility is critical to our work in Greater Philadelphia. By developing and advancing a shared regional strategy, we can grow middle-wage jobs so more people have the opportunity to thrive.”

Claire Marrazzo Greenwood, executive director, Greater Philadelphia Growth Partnership, The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. (John Welsh)

Donna Frisby‑Greenwood, senior vice president, The Pew Charitable Trusts. (John Welsh)

Pat Clancy, president & CEO of Philadelphia Works, addresses the gathering. (John Welsh)

The regional growth strategy builds upon an in-depth evaluation of the region’s economy – its strengths, challenges, and opportunities – released by the Brookings Institution last year, as well as extensive stakeholder engagement to identify targeted tactics for growth. The strategy prioritizes early, coordinated action in three opportunity industries selected for their overall job growth potential as well as their ability to create family-sustaining jobs at scale, particularly those that are accessible without four-year degrees. These industries are enterprise digital solutions, precision manufacturing in industrial technologies, and biomedical engineering and production. The regional growth strategy is available here.

Bucks County is already home to many employers across these opportunity industries, including enterprise digital solutions firm EPAM Systems; precision and advanced manufacturing employer Pennsylvania Steel Company, Inc.; and biomedical and life sciences companies such as Mid‑Atlantic BioTherapeutics, Polysciences, and Syncro Medical.

“The partnership and data-driven strategy mark a fundamental shift in how Greater Philadelphia advances economic growth and opportunity, raising the region’s execution to match the proven practices of the nation’s most successful peers,” said Brookings Institution Nonresident Senior Fellow Marek Gootman.

The Partnership has secured $5.4 million in seed funds to date from corporate and philanthropic investors for its first three years to build durable collaborative infrastructure for regional growth. Founding investors include Wawa, Essential Utilities, Jefferson, Independence Blue Cross, Cencora, and The Pew Charitable Trusts, and early planning support came from Comcast and the Philadelphia Foundation. The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia will play a significant role in ensuring business community leadership and in fueling the Partnership, contributing staff support and $4 million in annual activity currently allocated to its economic competitiveness programs.

“Wawa is proud to be among the founding investors in this crucial effort,” said Wawa CEO Chris Gheysens. “This is a once in a generation chance to reshape how our region competes and build an economy that works for everyone. The Partnership gives the business community the structure and accountability to finally match our region's potential – and we're ready to step up, invest, and lead.”

The Partnership and the growth strategy have an explicit focus on increasing the supply of quality jobs that offer family-sustaining wages and career pathways and on aligning employer demand with educational and workforce systems. By scaling job creation and improving access, the Partnership will ensure that economic growth translates into real opportunity and upward mobility for more residents.

“For our region to grow, that growth has to translate into real jobs people can access and build careers from,” said Bucks County Workforce Development Director and Bucks County Workforce Development Board Director Dianna Kralle. “This partnership provides a framework that positions workforce systems alongside economic development – aligning training, education, and employer needs so that economic growth is matched by opportunity for workers throughout the region.”