SABIC Leaving Pittsfield by 2017; Closing Polymer Development Center

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — SABIC on Wednesday confirmed that it will no longer have a presence in Pittsfield after 2017.

Saudi Arabia Basic Industries Corp. says it will combine its technology and innovation operations in its Selkirk, N.Y., location — closing its Pittsfield Polymer Processing Development Center and another site in Exton, Pa.

City officials have been waiting for the other shoe to drop since SABIC announced in October it would relocate its headquarters in the former GE site to Houston, taking some 300 jobs along with it, by next year.

SABIC says the consolidation is being done to improve collaboration and research.

"This integration will not only drive important efficiencies, it will also merge material science, process engineering and application development into a collaborative environment that will lead to new innovation breakthroughs," said Awadh Al-Maker, executive vice president of SABIC Technology & Innovation, in a statement.

Spokeswoman Jodi Kennedy, in response to questions, said SABIC does not share how many people are employed at its facilities and did not say how many jobs will be affected. The transition, she confirmed, will happen "sometime in 2017" but did not comment on whether any jobs would be affected prior to that.

"We're hoping that many of our employees from the PPDC will commute to Selkirk," she wrote.

The state's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development activated its "Rapid Response Team" in October to aid workers after the announcement of the headquarter's closing. SABIC indicated those employees could have jobs in Houston, although it was not known how many workers that affected or how many would leave with the company.

SABIC purchased the assets of GE Plastics in 2007 for more than $11 billion.

Pittsfield Affordable Housing Initiatives Shine Light, Hope

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
07:08AM / Saturday, December 20, 2025

Housing Secretary Edward Augustus cuts the ribbon at The First on Thursday with housing officials and Mayor Peter Marchetti, state Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The holidays are here and several community members are celebrating it with the opening of two affordable housing initiatives. 

 

"This is a day to celebrate," Hearthway CEO Eileen Peltier said during the ribbon-cutting on Thursday. 

 

The celebration was for nearly 40 supportive permanent housing units; nine at "The First" located within the Zion Lutheran Church, and 28 on West Housatonic Street. A ceremony was held in the new Housing Resource Center on First Street, which was funded by the American Rescue Plan Act. 

 

The apartments will be leased out by Hearthway, with ServiceNet as a partner. 

 

Prior to the ribbon-cutting, public officials and community resource personnel were able to tour the two new permanent supported housing projects — West Housatonic Apartments and The First Street Apartments and Housing Resource Center. 

 

The First Street location has nine studio apartments that are about 300 square feet and has a large community center. The West Housatonic Street location will have 28 studio units that range between 300 to 350 square feet. All units can be adapted to be ADA accessible. 

 

The West Housatonic location is still under construction with the hope to have it completed by the middle of January, said Chris Wilett, Hearthway development associate.