Allentown Software CEO Bets on Downtown Instead of a Suburban Campus

While several Lehigh Valley employers have relocated to suburban office parks near major highway interchanges, Raj Malhotra is moving the opposite direction, expanding his logistics-software company's footprint in downtown Allentown.

"Every employee under thirty I've hired in the last two years has told me they want to walk to lunch somewhere that isn't a strip mall," Malhotra said. "I stopped fighting that preference and started building around it."

The company has signed a lease for an additional floor in a renovated downtown building, adding space for roughly 60 new employees over the next two years. Malhotra says proximity to downtown's growing restaurant and residential scene has measurably helped recruiting, particularly for engineering roles that compete directly with remote-friendly employers elsewhere.

Not every part of the bet has gone smoothly. Parking remains a frequent complaint from employees commuting from outside the city, and Malhotra has had to negotiate a discounted rate with a nearby garage to offset the friction.

"It's not perfect," he said. "But I'd rather solve a parking problem than a nobody-wants-to-work-here problem."