Fuling's economic impact on Lehigh County, where Allentown is located, has been minimal because of the small number of employees at the factory.

But Lee stressed that Fuling will help the area's economy grow as it expands.

Entry-level wages are about $11 to $13 an hour while technicians can earn up to the mid-$20s per hour, depending on experience.

Ed Stagemyer, who oversees employees and production on the factory floor, acknowledged that the company has had a positive impact on Allentown.

"We sometimes hire temps from this area if we get into a busier season and it's been good. It's brought more jobs," he said.

"The plant is small right now, but it's growing, so it's going to have even more of an impact on the area," he added.

Gary Borochaner, a logistics manager who has been with the company for about two years, echoed similar sentiments.

"I have had the opportunity to see (growth) because we've had to add people as we've grown," he said. "I'm one of the longest-tenured people here now."

Many of the company's employees talked about the fast-pace of production lines, due in part to the high level of automation.

"I've only been here for about two months, but we've had some good training," said Dylan Frey, a lead technician. "There's a lot more automation and it's been fast-paced, but it's a good job."

Manufacturing in Lehigh Valley, the name given to the metropolitan area of Lehigh, Carbon, and Northampton counties, makes up the largest part of the region's economic output.

"For America today, to find a region (where) its biggest output is manufacturing is unusual because of the transition away from manufacturing in the United States," said Don Cunningham, president and chief executive officer of the Lehigh Valley Economic Development Corporation (LVEDC), which worked to bring Fuling to Allentown.