Networking events, workshops and seminars for the month of September are listed below. Got an upcoming business event? Send it to info@iberkshires.com.

On Wednesday, Sept. 1, Michael Ryan, founder and CEO of Sampco Companies and Brilliant Graphics Group, both in Pittsfield, will discuss “Using Technology to Transform Mature Markets,” during the fifth event in the Visionaries Breakfast series sponsored by BBQ: Berkshire Business Quarterly.

The event begins at 7:30 a.m. with networking and conversation with members of the business community over a light breakfast, followed by Ryan’s presentation and a tour of the facility. Michael Zivyak, founder and publisher of award-winning publications Berkshire Living and BBQ: Berkshire Business Quarterly, will host the event.

The event will be held at Sampco Companies, 56 Downing Parkway, Pittsfield. Tickets are $25; reservations are required. Call 413-443-8200 for more information or to register.

Berkshire Enterprises will offer a free Business Breakfast Forum entitled "Now What?—Planning to Make Money the Rest of the Year" on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. in the Third Floor Board Room at 1 Fenn St., Pittsfield.

Intended for business owners and managers, the forum will focus on what people are doing and plan to do to attract business now that summer is coming to a close. The forum will be lead by Steve Fogel, program director of Berkshire Enterprises.

Anyone interested in attending should register by contacting Steve Fogel at sfogel@berkshireenterprises.com or by leaving a message at 413-236-2141. Space is limited and reservations are required.

Spark!, the networking group for members of the creative economy, will hold a networking event at the Mount, 2 Plunkett St., Lenox, on Thursday, Sept. 2 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. For more information, contact info@berkshirecreative.org or call 413-822-8324.

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host the 7th Annual Women in Business Luncheon on Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Berkshire Hills Country Club in Pittsfield.

Kemp, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Kemp has held positions as Superior Court Trial Attorney and District Court Trial Attorney in Berkshire County as well as Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s office in New York. She holds a Juris Doctorate from Duquesne University School of Law and a B.A. in English from Providence College. She is a member of the Human/Animal Violence Education Network and Berkshire Community College Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. She also is an adjunct faculty member in the Criminal Justice Program at Berkshire Community College.

Amanda Rae Busch, a senior editor at Berkshire Living Magazine, will be the emcee. Busch joined the founding staff of the award-winning regional lifestyle and culture magazine in December 2004. Three office relocations and various titles later, she is now the publication’s senior editor, writing feature articles on food, wellness, eventsand personalities; penning a monthly shopping column and restaurant spotlights; planning editorial content; editing every word in each issue; shooting the rare photograph; and occasionally co-hosting the popular "Rest of the Story" series of public forums.

Due to an unforeseen conflict, Joan McMenemy was unable to speak at this year’s Women in Business luncheon, as was originally announced. The public is welcome to attend this event.  The cost is $30 for chamber members and $45 for nonmembers and includes a plated lunch. The luncheon is sponsored by TD Bank and Zonta Club of Berkshire County.

To register, call 413-499-4000, ext. 26, e-mail choyt@berkshirechamber.com or go to www.berkshirechamber.com.

Allen Jezouit and Jeff Stripp of Berkshire Direct will conduct the free training session "Google Local Search and Your Business" on Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 8 to 10 a.m. at The Orchards Hotel, 222 Adams Road, Williamstown. The event is free for Williamstown Chamber of Commerce members, $25 for others. RSVP here.

The Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will hold a Business After Hours on Thursday, Sept. 9 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the American Institute for Economic Research, 250 Division St., Great Barrington. RSVP to visitor@rnetworx.com.

The Zonta Club of Berkshire County will meet on Monday, Sept. 13 beginning at 5 p.m. at Patrick's Pub on Park Square in downtown Pittsfield.  The guest speaker will be Cindy Haddad, a pharmacist who was the successful plaintiff in the Haddad vs. Wal-Mart discrimination lawsuit. The meeting includes a brief networking time, business meeting, speaker and dinner.

Zonta International is a worldwide service organization working to advance the status of women.  Guests are welcome at all meetings, but reservations are required for dinner.  For more information, contact berkshire@zontadistrict1.org.

The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce will host "A Meet-and-Greet with Adam Falk," president of Williams College, on Monday, Sept. 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Williams College Museum of Art. Admission is $10 per person; reservations are required to info@williamstownchamber.com or 413-458-9077. There will be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Lee Bank and the L. V. Toole Insurance Agency will host “Workers’ Compensation: A CPA’s Guide,”a seminar for certified public accountants on Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Pittsfield Country Club.

The seminar will be presented by Kevin Ring, lead workers’ comp analyst for the Institute of WorkComp Professionals, as well as John Toole, president, and Kim Baker, account executive, from the L. V. Toole Insurance Agency.

This highly interactive seminar will focus on the critical factors that create errors and overcharges in employer’s workers’ compensation insurance premium. With this knowledge, CPAs can improve their clients’ ability to manage workers’ compensation insurance—a major source of expense and frustration for many business owners.

Participants will receive four continuing professional education (CPE) credits from the Institute of WorkComp Professionals, a registered sponsor of the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA). Continental breakfast will be served. Registration cost is $150.

To register, go to www.regonline.com/compseminar. For more information, call Heather Forman at 413-243-0089.

The Berkshire Chamber of Commerce will host Chamber Nite at Hillcrest Educational Centers, located at 788 South St., Pittsfield, on Wednesday, Sept. 15. Networking will be from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free to Berkshire Chamber members; attendees are encouraged to bring along plenty of business cards for networking and to be eligible for the door prize drawing. Call 413-499-4000 or e-mail choyt@berkshirechamber.com to register.

The Lenox Chamber of Commerce will hold a general membership meeting on Thursday, Sept. 16 at Cranwell Resort. The evening includes a cocktail hour from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., with cheeses, fruits and cookies and a cash bar. The general meeting will begin at 7:30. RSVP by Sept. 6 to the Lenox Chamber, 413-637-3646 or info@lenox.org.

Berkshire Visitors Bureau will host a Tourism Talkback session on Monday, Sept. 20 from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. at Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, 187 Marshall St., North Adams. The theme of the open forum will be "Marketing the Berkshires to Generation X."
 
Attendees are invited to visit the galleries before or after the session, which is free and open to all businesses in Berkshire County. For more information, call 413-743-4500.

The Northern Berkshire Business and Professional Women will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Williams Inn, located at the junction of routes 7 and 2 in Williamstown. The scheduled speaker is Mary Valquez-Stack, who will discuss the virtual office support industry. Admission is $25 and includes dinner; for meal choices and to make a reservation, contact Maureen Riley Moriarty at 413-743-0432 or rileymoriarty@yahoo.com.

The Center for Ecological Technology (CET) will present a "Greening Your Business" workshop Tuesday, Sept. 28 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. Jamie Cahillane, program manager of waste reduction and recycling programs, will lead the workshop and discuss case studies from several Berkshire businesses.  Jim Hunt from the Red Lion Inn will share some of his experiences. Businesses will be given tools and resources to take away and use at their locations. This workshop is sponsored by the USDA, RDA and the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Admission is $15 for Southern Berkshire Chamber members and $20 for nonmembers.  Registration is required. Contact Cahillane at jamiec@cetonline.org or 413-445-4556, ext. 14 by Friday, Sept. 24.

Partnerships In Employment is hosting an employer recognition breakfast at the Berkshire Hills Country Club on Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. to recognize regional employers for supporting the employment of individuals with disabilities. State Sen. Benjamin Downing will be speaking as well as presenting awards for exemplary practices and demonstrated commitment. This event is sponsored by the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce and is free for registrants. RSVP by Sept. 15 to April Morgan at amorgan@bcarc.org or 413-443-1038, ext. 31.

The Williamstown Chamber of Commerce will co-host a Business After Hours event with Images Cinema and the Williamstown Film Festival on Thursday, Sept. 30, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Images Cinema, 50 Spring St., Williamstown. Executive directors Sandra Thomas (Images Cinema) and Steve Lawson (Williamstown Film Festival) will provide brief overviews of their organizations, and a sampling of WFF shorts will be screened.

Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy organic popcorn, real butter and an advance look at the festival's 12th season (Oct. 15-24). Admission is $10 per person; contact the Chamber at info@williamstownchamber.com or call 413-458-9077 to register.

ADAMS, Mass. — The 130-year-old Simmons Furniture is thinking 21st century with addition of a third venue that will offer customized options for the more discriminating consumer.

The company will open a 25,000 square-foot store in the Allendale Shopping Center in Pittsfield this fall that will offer some of its classic brand lines along with new additions focused on health and sustainable living.

"We have some great lines of custom furniture that we don't currently carry," general manager Donna Riley told us on Tuesday. "I think it really is something unique for the county."

Riley said the decision to open the new location was based on trends the company is seeing in consumers. They're more concerned with healthy living, selecting furniture and materials suited for their lifestyles and looking to spend money that may once have been used on getaways into "remaking their homes in a way that's about really living in them."

"We're noticing more and more people are coming in and want to do something more custom. They're thinking about how it affects their health," she said. That puts the focus on so-called green and organic materials and American-made and imported lines that offer greater customization and more versatile applications. It will also include accessories by local artists. And sometimes old is new, she said, such as the use of glider rockers to aid people suffering from diabetes and otehr leg circulatory problems.

"We're kind of going back to the way we did business in the old days, in the '70s," she said, recalling how her mother Phyllis Riley bought the Adams store in 1973 and began putting her own flourishes on the merchandise.

The new shop joins the 15,000 square-foot showroom in Adams and the 20,000 square-foot store in the Pittsfield Plaza, which will become more of an outlet. The three stores will provide a wide range of price points to ensure furniture offerings for every size pocketbook, said Riley. "I think there's room in the marketplace for all the furniture stores. "

In a statement, Phyllis Riley said, "This new location, named 'Simmons Lifestyle Furniture,' will hearken back to the roots of the original intent of the company: stylish, customizable, unique furniture at affordable prices."

The new store is expected to open in October; Riley wouldn't say which storefront in the center it's moving into because the current occupant has not yet announced it's relocating.

BOSTON — The job growth continues in the state as the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reports that the private sector added 19,200 jobs in July, the largest monthly job gain in the private sector in 20 years. Governmental employment dropped by 6,000, signifying the reduction in temporary Census jobs.

Overall, the state's preliminary figures show 3,197,800 jobs, an increase of 13,200 jobs. The This marks the sixth straight month for job gains, with 60,200 jobs added since December.

The total unemployment rate held at 9.0 percent in July. The Massachusetts unemployment rate remains below the 9.5 percent national rate which was also unchanged over-the-month.

The gains were made in all nine job sectors; the largest gains wre in Leisure and Hospitality; Trade, Transportation and Utilities; Manufacturing; and Professional, Scientific and Business Services.
 
The July job growth follows on a revised 2,800 jobs gain in June, previously reported as a 500-job gain. Over-the-year, jobs are up 36,600 (or 1.2 percent) with private sector jobs up 32,500 (also 1.2 percent).

Trends for jobs, unemployed residents, the unemployment rate and unemployment insurance claims continue to indicate signs of improvement for the commonwealth's economy.

Local area unemployment statistics for July 2010 will be released on Tuesday, Aug. 24. Detailed labor market information is available at www.mass.gov/lmi.

LENOX, Mass.  If you're meeting on the East Coast, Cranwell's the place to go.

That's according to Meetings East Magazine, a leading conference planners publication, which gave Cranwell Resort, Spa and Golf Club its Best of the East Award, the fourth time the resort has been honored with this distinction.
 
Readers of Meetings East vote annually for their favorite meeting properties on the East Coast based on the following criteria: quality of the meeting space; guest rooms; guest services and amenities; food and beverage service; high-tech services and equipment; recreational facilities and activities; the efficiency and helpfulness of staff; and overall value and experience.
 
Cranwell has long been a favorite destination for a wide variety of meetings and events for up 200 guests; it recently hosted the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Governors Association and is also used for such social events as proms and weddings.

We can attest to the to lovely atmosphere and dining at the resort, having attended our share of (but not enough) weddings, meetings and dinners in its beautifully appointed dining rooms.

The resort features 15,000 square feet of event space including a spacious ballroom with panoramic hilltop views and a board room in an historic Gilded Age mansion. The property offers complimentary wireless Internet access throughout the resort.

For more information, call 800-272-6935 or visit www.cranwell.com.

FLORIDA, Mass. — The old Wigwam Cabins on the Western Summit have been purchased by Nancy Fitzpatrick, adding to her collection of historic properties that include the 1773 Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge.

Fitzpatrick, as LMNO Properties LLC, purchased the cabins, guest house and gift shop from the Berkshire Natural Resources Council on Aug. 13 for $275,000. The deal includes a right of first refusal for the nature conservation group should Fitzpatrick ever decide to sell it.

The council took ownership of the buildings last year, when it purchased 37 acres for $470,000 with plans to add it to some 730 acres along the Hoosac Range to conserve the land and restore a three-mile long trail.

The buildings and just under 4 acres were put on the market for $350,000 this spring.

"I'd been eyeballing the cabins longingly for years. I hated the thought that they might disappear," said Fitzpatrick in a news release announcing the purchase. "This style of roadside architecture, from the early days of automobile travel, is underappreciated and endangered. I can't wait to get going on this project."

The site has been a tourist destination with three-state views since the early part of the last century. It will be managed by the Porches Inn in North Adams, another historic property developed out of old houses on River Street by Fitzpatrick and and Williams College alum Jack Wadsworth.

Fitzpatrick is renovating the vintage cabins and will operate them seasonally beginning in spring 2011. She's interested in American road tripping and the hotels and motels that were built during the development of the Interstate Highway System.

Guests at the cabins will have easy access to the trail system being undertaken by the Berkshire Natural Resource Council that will ultimately connect the Florida and Savoy Mountain state forests and include a major hiking trail, the envisioned 100-mile Mahican-Mohawk Trail for Northern Berkshire County. This trail will start at the Wigwam site, ending at Spruce Hill, in the Savoy Mountain State Forest. The anticipated completion date for the trail is in June 2011.

"The Wigwam will capture the imagination and spirit of adventure of its guests, by recalling the nostalgia of bygone days of motor-touring on Route 2," said Bruce Finn, general manager of the Porches and Red Lion inns, in the press release. "The Wigwam Cabins will give travelers access to the Hoosac Range Trail, and — ultimately — the Mahican-Mohawk Trail. It is also a short, five-mile drive to the center of North Adams, Mass MoCA, and The Porches Inn through scenic winding mountain roads, and just a bit longer to Williamstown. Guests will enjoy breathtaking views from their rustic cabin settings, with easy access to all there is to do in the area."

Guests of the Wigwam will have full use of all guest amenities at the Porches, including the hotel's year-round pool, hot tub and exercise facilities. The property will be renovated with each cabin or guestroom offering a private bath and shower. The cabins will feature comfortable furnishings, wood stoves, refrigerators and coffee-making facilities.