Unistress Plans Move to William Stanley Business Park

By Jen ThomasPrint Story | Email Story
Petricca Industries, Inc. CEO Perri Petricca announced the move of Unistress Corporation's metal fabricating facilities to the William Stanley Business Park.
Pittsfield - After seven years of planning, the William Stanley Business Park will welcome its first tenant as early as next week. "It's taken awhile to get to today," said Mayor James M. Ruberto at a morning press conference. "But, today is the date where we know for certain, after a couple of false starts, that we have our first tenant at the William Stanley Business Park, one of our own - Petricca Industries." Petricca Industries will move their Unistress Corporation from its current home on Cheshire Road to a new 22,100 square foot facility at the park as part of a $6 million expansion project. The new location will focus on continuing current metal fabrication operations while the current Unistress facility will be converted to the manufacture of pre-stressed concrete components for use in bridges, stadiums, and other retail and industrial buildings. Expecting to break ground next week, Perri Petricca, CEO of Petricca Industries, said he is proud to be able to keep his business in its hometown. "Unistress has been growing at an incredible pace and we have expanded into every nook and cranny of our current facility, which is saying something given the size and acreage we possess down on Route 8," Petricca said. "There was a pride and energy once our focus became on doing something locally that we didn't have when we were looking at out of state locations." A joint effort of the city, MassDevelopment, the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority, TDBanknorth, the Pittsfield Economic Redevelopment Agency and Petricca, the move is part of the ongoing effort by city officials to expand local business and economic development opportunities. "I'm extremely pleased to say today that we've come to this point, a point when we can actually proclaim the start of a new beginning on this very valuable and important piece of real estate near the heart of our city," said PEDA Chairman William M. Hines. Unistress Corporation's full four-part expansion plan will create 40 new jobs, bringing the total to 365 for Unistress and more than 600 for Petricca Industries and its affiliate companies. Additionally, the move will allow Petricca Industries to expand other components of their industry. Unistress plans to implement a wireless communications system for instant transmission of design information from the Cheshire Road facility to the metal fabrication area at the business park location. They also intend to construct seven acres of storage facilities on land adjacent to Unistress' current location. "I am just so proud to think of all these benefits to the city of Pittsfield," said Ruberto. Planning for a hopeful November grand opening, Pitrecca said he has his work cut out for him. Pitrecca Construction, Co. will begin the process next week of "getting the site up to grade." Pitrecca said this includes breaking up the concrete at the business park site and leveling it as the land is located on a flood plain. The two and a half acre facility will likely begin construction in August. Pitrecca said he expects to give back to the city that has been his company’s home since 1936. "We anticipate staffing some of these new jobs through vocational partnerships with both the local high schools and the Sheriff's vocational rehab program," Petricca said. "We're proud to be here; we're a family business and we're really excited to be able to do something in Pittsfield," he said. Jen Thomas may be reached via e-mail at jthomas@iberkshires.com or at 413-663-3384 ext. 23.
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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.
 
This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.
 
The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.
 
DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.
 
"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths. 
 
"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."
 
Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.
 
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