Pittsfield steelworkers union hands out meals to those in need

PITTSFIELD — After Judy Toomey explained why she was setting up a drive-thru in the parking lot next to Walmart and Home Depot, a man handed her a $100 bill.

Berkshire unemployment climbs to 16.6 percent PITTSFIELD — The full impact of the COVID-19 pandemic slammed the Berkshire workforce last month, as the county's unemployment rate soared to 16.6 percent in April, the highest number in at …

AIM holding webinar on leadership BOSTON — Associated Industries of Massachusetts will hold a free webinar titled, "What is Leadership in the New Normal?" at 11 a.m. Thursday. The presenters include Linda Hill, the Wallace …

Virtual town hall on local summer economy PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire will hold its sixth weekly virtual town hall, "Summer in the Berkshires — Happening, But How?" at 10 a.m. Friday. The panel will include Brian Cruey, Southern …

Annual seedling swap scheduled NORTH ADAMS — Hoosac Harvest will hold its annual seedling swap from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the main parking lot of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Participants are asked …

Public hearing on micro-enterprise relief funds LENOX — The town of Lenox will hold a virtual public hearing at 3 p.m. Thursday via the zoom platform on its application for $850,000 in relief funds for micro-enterprises that have been hurt …

Agency lands grant to give free legal advice to those in need in May

GREAT BARRINGTON — You've just been served with a notice of eviction, but there's no money to pay the rent. There's no food for you or your children. …

TRENDING IN BUSINESS

Adjusting to new normal, Berkshire businesses aim to `take it slowly' PITTSFIELD — Deliberate is the keyword as Berkshire County businesses plan to restart to their operations. "I think everyone is going to be very deliberate in what they do," said Ben Sosne, …

Berkshire unemployment climbs to 16.6 percent

Woitkoski steps down at BCArc

Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions, May 4-8

Executive Spotlight: Orion Howard, co-founder and owner of Bright Ideas Brewing

Renaissance Investment Group: Close client relations, context and comforting advice during a time of crisis

LENOX — There's a pandemic on: Your family is safe; the cupboards are full; and you have enough fuel to keep your generator running for weeks. You're prepared for a catastrophe that's going to keep you at home for a while. But who's watching your investments?

Executive Spotlight

Executive Spotlight: Paul LeBlanc, founder and CEO of Zogics

PITTSFIELD — Paul LeBlanc always wanted to be an entrepreneur. But, it took awhile for him to hit on the right formula. For a long time, his greatest success occurred in cycling — a …

Executive Spotlight: George Haddad, president of Haddad Dealerships of the Berkshires PITTSFIELD — George Haddad is the third-generation owner of one of Berkshire County's largest auto dealerships, but his father and grandfather originally didn't want him to join the family …

Executive Spotlight: Christine Macbeth, president, CEO of The Brien Center PITTSFIELD — Christine Macbeth likes to place these three words on her computer's screen saver: "Keep hope alive." Those words are especially meaningful in social work, which Macbeth is …

Executive Spotlight: Sandra Carroll, CEO of Berkshire County Board of Realtors PITTSFIELD — Sandra Carroll grew up around real estate because her father was a Realtor. But, Carroll had no experience in the field at all until she answered an ad seeking an executive officer …

Executive Spotlight: Jeromy Richardson, CEO of EDM PITTSFIELD — Jeromy Richardson didn't take the traditional route to his position as CEO of EDM, an engineering, architectural and design firm based in Pittsfield. Richardson holds a college …

Executive Spotlight: Joanne Longton, owner of Elm Street Luncheonette PITTSFIELD — "Gourmet it isn't. Excellent it is. That's how I'd describe the fare at the Elm Street Luncheonette."The late Lee Leahy wrote those words in her "Just Looking" column for The …

Executive Spotlight: Joseph 'Joe' McGovern, CEO, Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires PITTSFIELD — Joseph "Joe" McGovern has a deep affinity for the Boys & Girls Club of the Berkshires. He first joined the club when he was nine, worked there as a teenager and developed a …

Executive Spotlight: Liana Toscanini, director of the Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires PITTSFIELD — Volunteering makes Liana Toscanini feel useful, and her background in marketing gives her the skill set that small nonprofits look for when they're seeking visibility in a crowded …

Executive Spotlight: Ashley Alter, owner of Martino Glass PITTSFIELD — Ashley Alter thought she was going to become an accountant. She studied to be one while waiting tables to pay for school. But she needed to complete an internship to receive her …

Executive Spotlight: Shawn Kinney, CEO of Berkshire Sterile Manufacturing PITTSFIELD — Shawn Kinney lived in Pittsfield while he was studying for his doctorate in chemistry at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in the early 1990s. But, at the time, there were no …

Executive Spotlight: Judie Culver, owner of Purple Plume PITTSFIELD — It doesn't take long to learn Judie Culver's favorite color. She arrives for an interview either clad in or toting several items that are colored purple. They include purple …

Executive Spotlight: William Caligari Jr., co-owner, William Caligari Interiors PITTSFIELD — William Caligari Jr. was 13 when his parents sent him to a day camp in Great Barrington. He was the only local kid there. Everyone else came from the New York City …

Executive Spotlight: Amelia 'Lia' Spiliotes, CEO of Community Health Programs PITTSFIELD — Amelia "Lia" Spiliotes knows what it's like to come in from the outside, on a temporary basis, to help restructure an entity that is struggling. As a senior adviser and partner …

Executive Spotlight: Perri Petricca, CEO of Petricca Industries of Pittsfield PITTSFIELD — It never is easy running a big company, but, imagine running a large family business as a third-generation family member. Perri Petricca understands that responsibility …

Executive Spotlight: Peter Taylor, president of the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation PITTSFIELD — Peter Taylor originally was interested in becoming a lawyer, but after a short stint at a large civil litigation firm in Washington, he turned to higher education instead.He spent …

Executive Spotlight: Maria Sekowski, owner of Maria's European Delights PITTSFIELD — Maria Sekowski owns Maria's European Delights on North Street, and this small delicatessen reflects her vibrant personality.Sekowski likes to interact with her customers. …

Executive Spotlight: John Perreault, executive director of the Berkshire Humane Society PITTSFIELD — John Perreault received an internship at an animal shelter while he was growing up in Methuen. The experience changed his life. "I had an internship through school," he said. "The …

Executive Spotlight: Jeffrey Thomas, CEO of Lever PITTSFIELD — Jeffrey Thomas arrives for an interview with index cards that he spreads out in front of him. He pauses to look through them while answering a question."Sorry," he said. "I want to …

Executive Spotlight: Heather Boulger, executive director of MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board PITTSFIELD — Heather Boulger was the first member of her family to graduate from college. The North Adams native originally wanted to be a teacher, but gravitated toward workforce development …

Executive Spotlight: Luke Marion, owner and operator of Otto's Uncorked and Red Apple Butchers PITTSFIELD — Luke Marion once studied computational biology at Rochester Institute of Technology. But his career in higher education was interrupted when he received an offer that he couldn't …

Executive Spotlight: Mike Spelman, co-owner of Mike's Maytag PITTSFIELD — Mike Spelman can be quick with a quip and engaging in conversation — two qualities that serve him well in his chosen profession.Spelman is the Mike in Mike's Maytag Home …

Real Estate Transactions

Berkshire County real estate transactions for April 27-May 1

Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions, April 20-24

Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions, April 6-10

Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions, March 23-April 3

Berkshire County Real Estate Transactions, March 16-20

Read more real estate news

Real Estate

Morewood, Gilded Age mansion in Pittsfield, for sale at $1,995,000 Morewood, the Gilded Age mansion that's on the National Register of Historic Homes, at 575 South St. in Pittsfield is on the market. Located next to the Pittsfield Country Club, the home with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms is on 11 acres.

More Business News

AIM holding webinar on leadership

BOSTON — Associated Industries of Massachusetts will hold a free webinar titled, "What is Leadership in the New Normal?" at 11 a.m. Thursday. The presenters include Linda Hill, the Wallace … more

5/26/20, 10:48 AM

Virtual town hall on local summer economy

PITTSFIELD — 1Berkshire will hold its sixth weekly virtual town hall, "Summer in the Berkshires — Happening, But How?" at 10 a.m. Friday. The panel will include Brian Cruey, Southern … more

5/26/20, 10:45 AM

Annual seedling swap scheduled

NORTH ADAMS — Hoosac Harvest will hold its annual seedling swap from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the main parking lot of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. Participants are asked … more

5/26/20, 10:45 AM

Public hearing on micro-enterprise relief funds

LENOX — The town of Lenox will hold a virtual public hearing at 3 p.m. Thursday via the zoom platform on its application for $850,000 in relief funds for micro-enterprises that have been hurt … more

5/26/20, 10:42 AM

Administrator joining BCD

STOCKBRIDGE — Kelly Baxter Spitz will join Berkshire Country Day School as associate head of advancement and enrollment, effective July 1. A Sheffield resident, Spitz has served as the director … more

5/26/20, 10:33 AM

Small business center adds senior advisor

PITTSFIELD — Mark Avnet has been hired as a senior business advisor at the Berkshire Regional Office of the Massachusetts Small Business Development Center in Pittsfield. Avnet previously … more

5/26/20, 10:24 AM

SculptureNow adds coordinator, board members

BECKET — Natalie Tyler has been appointed program coordinator at SculptureNow, while Sheila Baird and Jennifer Crews have joined the organization's advisory board. Originally from Encinatas, … more

5/26/20, 10:21 AM

Bill Schmick | @theMarket: Memorial Day markets

As we begin the Memorial Day weekend that usually launches the nation's summer season, investors are anxious to discover if Americans will ignore Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warnings, … more

By Bill Schmick | 5/22/20, 1:57 PM

After being closed for several weeks due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Chandler Fashion Center Mall in Chandler, Ariz., welcomes back patrons with many social distancing guideline signs Sunday. The author says that the reopening of much of America this week had been met with some celebratory gains in the stock market, but as he predicted, it has been an up-and-down week, despite the gain.

Allen Harris: Life after Paycheck Protection Program

The CARES Act authorized the U.S. Treasury to accosmmodate loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program loan. If you received a PPP loan, you may have kept workers on the … more

By Allen Harris | 5/22/20, 12:09 PM

The author says that business owners are grappling with what the new business as usual will look like once the coronavirus pandemic has receded, realizing that, in some instances, getting back to business will be less like a restart and more like a startup. Business owners need to be candid about the possibility of layoffs during this period of uncertainty, but they also don't want to demoralize their team.

Kat Toomey | Inside the Job Market: How to achieve your dreams

PITTSFIELD — "What is the best way to achieve your dreams?" A Berkshire County student recently asked this question on Career Village, a website where students can ask questions about … more

By Kat Toomey | 5/22/20, 12:09 PM

The author says that, although nearly 90 percent of all graduating seniors participate in the MassHire Berkshire Workforce Board's college/career readiness programming through career fairs, shadowing days, internships and STEM initiatives, much more needs to be done to educate the community about career pathways and employment opportunities that exist in the Berkshires.