IQ Fibers expects to lease a 45,000-square-foot-building at 1550 Lehigh Drive in West Easton, the company's first manufacturing site, where it will invest at least $5.4 million in the project.

The Manufacturers Resource Center, based in Upper Macungie Township, said Richard Hobbs will take over as the new president and CEO on July 15.

A group of a dozen teachers from the Allentown, Salisbury and Whitehall-Coplay school districts will be wrapping up a program at Lehigh Carbon Community College this week that is helping them get involved in developing students’ interest in STEM careers.

Some manufacturers say job poaching – the practice of actively recruiting an employee from a direct competitor – has become more common.

The company plans to move its employees and operations out of those two other sites, which are a warehouse on Race Street in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, and a distribution center on Conroy Place in Forks Township.

Right now, Polytek has about 45 employees in Williams Township and more than 120 total across all its locations, which include California, Michigan, and Indiana.

Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern Pennsylvania said it has invested $488,400 in a number of early-stage firms and established manufacturers.

The total project investment is $8.5 million, which includes installing automated manufacturing equipment, the majority of which relies on computer-navigated controls.

Kaplan’s Enterprises moved several times in its first 60 years, but for the last 35 years it has been located in a downtown storefront on the 100 block of Northampton Street.