ABOUT THIS EPISODE
On this episode of Straight Lines Eastern Pennsylvania, presented by the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, host Tim Neiman sits down with Lou Pektor, founder of Ashley Development, which he started in 1989 and grew from residential development into major commercial and mixed-use projects across the Lehigh Valley. Lou explains why he left investment banking for real estate, where you can persevere and see your way through instead of giving gains back to the market, and why he believes you can’t be a part-timer in any business: you’re either all in or out. He walks through some of his best-known work, including Riverport, a former Bethlehem Steel armament building turned into condominiums, a sports bar, and a fitness center, and the downtown Bethlehem buildings he rebuilt along Broad and Main. Much of the conversation focuses on data centers. Lou explains what they do and why they power everything from cell phones to medical and financial processing. He describes his own 1,100-acre campus on the site of a former coal-fired power plant, with more than a gigawatt of grid power secured. He addresses community concerns about the electric grid, water, noise, and jobs, and talks about the $50 million community benefit package his team has put forward. He closes with hard-earned advice: be optimistic, but be realistic about time and budget, because most mistakes come when you run out of one or both. To Lou, straight lines means playing the long game and sticking with the vision you started with.
A must-listen for entrepreneurs and developers weighing risk and commitment, residents trying to understand what a data center could mean for their township, and anyone who wants a straight-talking look at what it takes to build something that lasts.
