Mack said he hopes to open up the dispensary in December or January.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Hydroponics is fully integrated and the gardening supplier has not only expanded into marijuana cultivation but now is working to open up a dispensary.
"We have been very fortunate to be able to keep on growing," owner Tim Mack said. "Everything is coming to fruition."
Mack started with Berkshire Hydroponics, an indoor/outdoor gardening supplier focusing on GMO-free, organic gardening, about seven years ago.
The well-stocked store has shelves of soils, nutrients, teas, and whatever else a beginner or experienced gardener may need.
Mack said over the years, they have served a loyal customer base well but found over time there was more that they could do. So they spread beyond the four walls of suite 1 to suite 3 and 4 in their 1450 East St. location.
The next steps turned Mack's business into a vertically unified business. With the help of his business partner Sonia Orenstein, just a few hundred feet down East they opened Mass Yield Cultivation - a 5,000 square foot marijuana cultivation center.
Now to complete the journey from seed to the store counter, they plan to open up Potency, a marijuana dispensary in suites 1 and 2
"Everything really fell into place, and the spaces became available. I never envisioned it going that way," he said. "Now we supply everything starting with seeds. I am the only one in the state that is fully integrated from seed to end product...I am working on building a respectable small business for my kids' future."
Mack has two boys, Lukas age 10, and Greyson, age 6.
Mack said he hopes to open up the dispensary in December or January. He pointed to the new sign atop the storefront excited to eventually see the storefront busy with customers.
Mack kept coming back to his loyal customers who make Berkshire Hydroponics more than a store, but a family.
"I like to keep everything local and everyone has been so supportive," Mack said. "The environment here is very friendly. People come in and they start talking. They exchange numbers and tips. I like my business to run like a family, and that is what I want at Potency."
He said Potency will sell products from other vendors as well as their own products.
"It is definitely, from what I see, a different style build-out," Mack said. "We want to have our own in-house brand...we want to put out a quality product."
Mack said he hopes to have a vendor day to help promote other small businesses once Potency opens.
At his core, Mack is a gardener and is most passionate about Mass Yield.
"The growing is where our passion really is," he said. "Gardening is a passion. It is more about that than the money. We want to help people. We want to do our part."
He said he plans to expand into outdoor and greenhouse cultivation.
He said he makes a point to hire local contractors and local people to handle each phase of the business. He attributes his tight-knit team and customer base to the business's success.
"I appreciate everyone that has been here and has shopped here from the beginning and those who continue to come here," he said. "Because of them, we have grown beyond our one small suite, and we are excited to continue to serve our community as we expand."
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Dalton Select Board Recommends Voting Against Article 1
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — After a heated discussion concerning sidewalk repair options during last week's Select Board meeting, the board voted to not support Article 1 on the annual town meeting warrant.
The article proposes amending the town's bylaws to mandate the use of concrete for all future sidewalks.
The decision narrowly passed 3-2, with board members Dan Esko, Robert Bishop and John Boyle voting not to recommend the article and Joseph Diver and Marc Strout for a recommendation.
Board members in favor of not recommending the article cited reasons such as not wanting to limit the town's options when addressing sidewalks in disrepair, which has been a hot topic recently due to the number of sidewalks within the town that need to be addressed.
Although Diver made the motion not to recommend the citizen's petition, he later changed his mind and voted against his motion, agreeing with Strout that the decision should lay in the hands of the residents.
"I personally believe that it should be put in the hands of the residents and not for the five of us to make that decision and that's why I actually think this is a good petition to put up there. Let the residents make that decision," Strout said.
The changing of the town bylaw is not the only article concerning sidewalks voters will vote on during the May 6 town meeting.
Downtown Pittsfield Inc. proposed angled parking on North Street and was pleasantly surprised that the city responded with an in-depth study and new plans — even if they don't include angled parking.
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Officials celebrated Arbor Day on Friday by installing a commemorative plaque next to the American elm sapling. This is a tree that James McGrath, the city's park program manager, said Presutti would have been particularly proud of.
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Albert Ingegni III was applauded for four decades of service on the Zoning Board of Appeals during City Council. Mayor Peter Marchetti presented him with a certificate of thanks for his commitment to the community.
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