A Dallas-based developer bought a former restaurant supply store in Allentown for $1.5 million and plans to renovate it into an auto body repair and paint shop.

As companies look to the Lehigh Valley to move or expand headquarters and manufacturing operations, a key part of their decision-making is the question of workforce. If the workforce exists, that’s where they will go, and it’s a top reason many major companies recently announced plans to build in the region.

The auto industry has seen a lot of changes in technology as vehicles become more advanced, safer, and fuel-efficient. And it’s an industry that’s not without its challenges – from finding new skilled mechanics to adapting to changing consumer tastes, such as ride-share services and the nascent model of consumers buying cars from online businesses.

A German lighting company with locations throughout the world, said it plans to close its Bethlehem Township plant by July 17, which would affect 52 employees.

Mack Trucks will not participate in a Las Vegas construction trade show March 10-14 because of concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.

With potential approval of its $42 million landfill expansion looming, waste disposal company Grand Central Sanitary Landfill of Plainfield Township plans to host several meetings to inform the public about the project.

Officials say River Pointe Logistics Park, a proposal for an industrial park on 725 acres in Upper Mount Bethel Township, has potential to attract manufacturers to the Slate Belt, a largely rural region of Northampton County.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission granted a two-year extension for PennEast Pipeline Co. LLC of Wyomissing to finish construction of a natural gas pipeline between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The 23rd annual Lehigh Valley Auto Show, which takes place March 19-22 at Lehigh University’s Goodman Campus, is expected to draw about 45,000 people and raise thousands for local nonprofits.

Several Lehigh Valley auto dealerships are collaborating with a Philadelphia-area technical school to create an early employment program.