WILLIAMSTOWN — In a Christmas homecoming, local businessman Randy Stratton has taken back the 430 Main St. building that formerly housed the Litchfield Financial Co., which he co-founded 15 years ago.
Stratton’s Developer Finance Corp. and Village Ventures will relocate to the building — vacant for the past year — shortly after Jan. 1. Developer Finance Corp. is currently in the former Roberts Co. building at the corner of Main and Marshall streets in North Adams, while Village Ventures is in the General Cable mill here.
“We’re back,†said an elated Stratton Tuesday, speaking by telephone from California.
He said his Cold Spring Capital Management firm has taken a 23-year ground lease on the 35,000-square-foot building with owner Berkshire Property Trust, a large national real-estate-investment trust.
Town Manager Peter Fohlin hailed the development.
“It’s far and away the best holiday gift of the month,†Fohlin said. “Randy has been trying to get back into town in a first-class facility for a couple of years now. During that time he and I discussed a number of different possibilities. This is an excellent outcome that brings good jobs back to town.â€
Village Ventures Chief Operating Officer Steven Massicotte confirmed the company would relocate to the Main Street building, which previously housed Textron Inc. and before that a Grand Union supermarket.
“We’ve been interested in that property for some time,†Massicotte said. “The fact that Randy has control of the building works well for us and allows us to move out of here.â€
He added, “We think it’s a great fit for us. There’s good parking, and it’s not too far from where we are now. One of our goals was to stay in Williamstown and we’ve accomplished that. It’s a good building.â€
Village Ventures’ current quarters will soon begin conversion to condominiums by the development team of Berkshire Housing Development Corp. and Keen Development.
Village Ventures’ 15 employees will be in the far left portion of the Main Street building. They will have firewalls installed around their new quarters and some windows at the rear — amounting to about $61,000 in renovations, according to an application filed with the town office of inspections.
Frank Mahan, CEO of Developer Finance, said, “We’ve come full circle.â€
Mahan, who has been with the company since 1992, said Stratton co-founded Litchfield Financial in October 1988. Ten years later, Litchfield rebuilt the vacant and dilapidated former Grand Union. Local architects Burr & McCallum designed the striking adaptive reuse.
Textron bought Litchfield in November 1999 but moved out of the building — and out of town — in December 2003.
Mahon said the return to the building would require “minor modifications to subdivide the space. Nothing major. We’ll take down a wall here, put up a wall there — nothing structural.â€
Mahan said that company, with its 30 employees, will move this winter from North Adams. The new lease began on Dec. 1.
Developer Finance provides financing for rural land developers all over the country — as did Litchfield, according to Mahan, He added that the company has more than 50 land-developer clients in about 35 states. As a private company, its policy is not to release figures concerning volume.
Stratton said another of his companies — Resort Development, now in Bennington, Vt. — might move into the Williamstown building. Also, he said, his wife Janet’s business, The Reading Institute, may take space there.
For Village Ventures employees, the move will provide a practical benefit.
“We’re on the third floor here [General Cable] with no elevator,†Massicotte said. “There, we’ll be on the first floor in the part of the building that used to be Aubuchon’s hardware.â€
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Dalton Announces New Supplier for Energy Program
DALTON, Mass. – The Town of Dalton has signed a thirty-four month contract with a new supplier, First Point Power.
Beginning with the January 2026 meter reads, the Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program will have a new rate of $0.13042 per kWh. The Program will also continue to offer an optional 100 percent green product, which is derived from National Wind Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), at a rate of $0.13142 per kWh.
For Dalton residents and businesses who are enrolled in the Town's Program, the current rate of $0.13849 per kWh will expire with the January 2026 meter reads and the new rate of $0.13042 per kWh will take effect. This represents a decrease of $5 per month on the supply side of the bill given average usage of 600 kWh. Additionally, this new rate is 3 percent lower than Eversource's Residential Basic Service rate of $0.13493 per kWh. Residents can expect to see an
average savings of $3 per month for the month of January 2026. Eversource's Basic Service rates
will change on Feb. 1, 2026.
Dalton launched its electricity program in January 2015 in an effort to develop an energy program that would be stable and affordable. From inception through June 2025, the Program has saved residents and small businesses over $1.7 million in electricity costs as compared to Eversource Basic Service.
It is important to note that no action is required by current participants. This change will be seen on the February 2026 bills. All accounts currently enrolled in the Program will remain with their current product offering and see the new rate and First Point Power printed under the "Supplier Services" section of their monthly bill.
The Dalton Community Choice Power Supply Program has no fees or charges. However, anyone switching from a contract with a third-party supplier may be subject to penalties or early termination fees charged by that supplier. Ratepayers should verify terms before switching.
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