Biz Briefs: Goodwill Leases Space in Great Barrington for New Retail Store, Donation Center
Growing again: Goodwill of the Berkshires and Southern Vermont is expanding again, having leased 2,000 square feet of retail space on Route 7 in Great Barrington, where it plans to open a new thrift store next month. This will be the second retail enterprise the Pittsfield-based non-profit organization has launched in 2016, following the opening of a Goodwill store in Rutland, Vt., in March.
The site, at 396 Stockbridge Road, is located next to Laramee Cleaners in the building that once housed the Caffrey Ford car dealership.
A grand opening of the Great Barrington retail outlet will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10. The site also has a donation center where people are encouraged to drop off items for resale. Goodwill is now accepting donations of gently used and new clothing, housewares, furniture, small electronics and computer equipment at the site on Saturdays from 1 to 5 p.m. Beginning Monday, Aug. 15, donations will be also be accepted Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The organization operates a total of five other stores in western Massachusetts and southern Vermont.
The Great Barrington store will initially have between eight to 10 employees. Denise Reuger was recently hired as the store’s manager. Goodwill funds job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs benefitting people facing employment challenges through its recycling initiatives, including sales of donated clothing and household items at Goodwill retail stores.
Field of dreams: Red Lion Inn Executive Chef Brian Alberg and his team prepare to welcome the innovative minds behind Outstanding in the Field back to Berkshire County on Thursday, Sept. 8, for a five-course feast at Lila’s Farm in Great Barrington.
Outstanding in the Field, the renowned traveling table-to-farm dinner series, is partnering with Chef Alberg for its fourth one-of-a-kind, open-air dining experience in the Berkshires. Co-hosted by Lila Berle of Lila's Farm, Alberg has created a menu with ingredients sourced from local purveyors including Bola Granola, Raven & Boar, Howden Farm and Lila’s Farm.
With Alberg overseeing the event as chef and as vice president of Culinary Development at Main Street Hospitality Group, the meal will be prepared and served by Main Street Catering & Events. In Outstanding in the Field tradition, it will be presented to nearly 200 guests seated at one long table set on a hilltop at Lila’s Farm with views of New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ticketing and information on Outstanding in the Field can be found online.
Credit union merger: Greylock Federal Credit Union and Hurlbut Employees' Federal Credit Union have announced a merger of the two institutions, effective Aug. 22. Both credit unions have approved the merger, and approval from the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) has been granted.
Hurlbut Employees Federal Credit Union was started by employees of the Hurlbut Paper Company in 1962. Located in South Lee, the credit union has 220 members and $1.2 million in assets.
With the merger, those assets will be assumed by Greylock. HEFCU has approximately 220 members. Upon completion of the merger, Hurlbut members will enjoy extended hours at Greylock’s 11 full-service branches and 19 local ATM locations; access to 30,000 nationwide Co-Op Network ATMs; a telephone service center; and a host of free online and mobile banking services. Hurlbut members will also enjoy access to additional services, including mortgage loans, business banking services, investments and insurance products.
The winner is: Rebecca Horn of Pittsfield, Mass., was the winner of Berkshire Bank's Six Flags New England Laser Light Show Giveaway.
Through the sponsorship of Six Flags New England, Berkshire Bank held a giveaway from July 8 through July 22 for a Six Flags New England Laser Light Show Prize. Horn has received one Family 4-Pack Ultimate Experience at Six Flags New England during the Laser Light Show Week. Family 4-Packs include four general admission tickets to Six Flags New England and VIP treatment at the Laser Light Show.
The Giveaway was offered to residents of Massachusetts and Connecticut, and consisted of an entry form completed at any Berkshire Bank location within these regions. One winner was chosen from hundreds of submissions.
Throwing it back: Simon Malls and Simon Premium Outlets, parent company of the Lee Premium Outlets in Lee, Mass., kicked off its 2016 Back To School season with a TV commercial and digital video campaign, encouraging shoppers to "find your style" while reflecting on their past first days of school and the outfits that were the height of fashion in the '80s and '90s.
The campaign will be amplified through social media using the hashtag #tbtbts (Throw Back Thursday Back To Simon), inviting people across the country to share their most memorable back-to-school photos for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree. Simon will select the best photo each week nationally over a three-week period, starting Aug. 4, and the three winners each get a $1,000 shopping spree. One grand prize winner will be selected to get an additional $5,000 shopping spree.
A campaign at Simon centers, targeted at teens, will feature three seasonal trends inspired by '80s and' 90s fashions - Off-Beat, Modern Utility and '90s Nostalgia - that can all be found at Simon Malls and Simon Premium Outlets here in New England.
Top 10: Berkshire Bank has been recognized by AdvisoryHQ News as one of the Top 10 Best Banks in Massachusetts.
AdvisoryHQ News based their decision for Top 10 Banks on a number of factors; including advantages, benefits, and value-creating products and services provided by these financial institutions that benefit the consumers they serve. When conducting reviews of financial institutions, AdvisoryHQ News delves deeper than the obvious fees, ratios and metrics; they look at the quality and value of products and services, creating a more personal examination.
The qualities specific to Berkshire Bank that warranted this prestigious honor are the products and services that are offered, coupled with the opinion that the Bank is one of the most respected in Western Massachusetts. The products listed by Advisory HQ News that were particularly beneficial to consumers are the NOW Checking, the Pure Excitement Money Market, Mobile Banking and the MyBanker program.
AdvisoryHQ News is an online news outlet that provides research, reviews and ranking of firms and products across the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. Established in April of 2015, their research focuses on the everyday consumer and is conducted from the end-user, client and consumer's perspective.
Big sale weekend: Ten small West Stockbridge businesses have joined together to offer a weekend of savings called the West Stockbridge Summer Spectacular on what was to be the Massachusetts tax-free holiday on Aug. 20-21. The tax-free holiday was cancelled for this year by state lawmakers, but the savings will continue for the patrons of the participating businesses during the Summer Spectacular.
Participating businesses include Hoffman Pottery, Sandy Klempner @ Home, Diana Felber Gallery, Out of Vietnam Gift Shop, Hotchkiss Mobiles, Equator Antiques, Flourish Market Vintage, Stanmeyer Gallery & Shaker Dam Coffeehouse, Public Market, and Charles H. Baldwin & Sons.
Each business will be offering a unique discount during the Summer Spectacular. For example, Hotchkiss Mobiles is offering 10 percent off all outdoor mobiles, Charles H. Baldwin & Sons is offering 15 percent off everything except extracts and they have a Super Summer Spectacular Sale Bin, and Flourish Market Vintage is offering 20 percent off the entire store. A trip to West Stockbridge would not be complete without a visit to Hoffman Pottery, where Elaine Hoffman, Potter in residence, will be offering 25 percent to 75 percent off select items. For additional discount information, please contact individual businesses directly or visit www.weststockbridgetown.com for business links and more information.
Tags: Berkshire Bank, Goodwill, red lion inn,
