Pittsfield Council OKs $1M in Economic Development Funds for BIC, Myrias

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a total of $1 million in Pittsfield Economic Development Funds to expand the Berkshire Innovation Center and add a new company. 

Last week, councilors OKed the BIC's request for $500,000 to expand by 7,000 square feet and Myrias Optics Inc.'s request for the same amount to establish a manufacturing laboratory at the BIC. Myrias expects to hire at least 55 people by 2028 with average salaries between $110,000 to $120,000 per year. 

Ward 6 Councilor Dina Lampiasi recognized that $1 million from what had been the GE Fund is a lot of money, but pointed to the other support this project has garnered. The BIC was awarded a $5.2 million boost from the state for this effort, and another $2 million was earmarked through an economic development bond bill.

"I think we, as Pittsfielders, know how important that money is for our future and to recoup what we can of the losses that have happened to this community," Lampiasi said. 

"But looking at that $7 million that's coming down the road, and the fact that the state is behind us, and we're part of this tech hub, when you look at the region and what this is going to mean for our community, I think it's really exciting, and folks at home can get excited about it, too." 

The economic development funds will go toward an $11 million specialized nanoimprint lithography (NIL) lab that Myrias will use. NIL is basically using a mold to imprint microscopic patterns on substrates used in electronics, optics and other nanotechnology.

The company's biggest customers are "Tier 1,"  or major manufacturers, in consumer electronics and augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) applications. The expansion can be built in a year, and if all goes well, the BIC hopes to break ground in the spring. 

The University of Massachusetts' Donahue Institute said the Advanced Manufacturing for Advanced Optics Tech Hub in Pittsfield could generate up to 1,310 jobs between 2025 and 2031 through direct, indirect, and induced employment. BIC Executive Director Benjamin Sosne explained that this is the ripple effect from new employees living and spending their money in the area. 

State Rep. Tricia Farley Bouvier, who presented a certificate of recognition to Interprint at the beginning of the meeting, pointed out that the $5.2 million award from the state is contingent on the release of the $2 million in last year's economic development bond bill.

"We really are starting something big," she said. "MassTech could see that the coming together of these two entities, the BIC and Myrias, along with EMS that is already at the BIC, not only are bringing the jobs that we are seeing right in front of us, but it's going to start, and I think Ben Sosne uses the term a 'flywheel,' of other jobs, because we are going to need suppliers for these companies. ...

"When these kinds of tech companies start, they want to be near other tech companies, and that model has proven itself, not only across the commonwealth, but across the nation." 

For Myrias, $250,000 will be released when a 10-year lease is signed at the BIC's expanded space, and 10 full-time employees earning at least $65,000 plus benefits are documented.  Another $150,000 will be released six months after the company documents 10 more hires, and the final $100,000 six months after an additional 10 new hires, bringing the total to 30 full-time employees earning at least $65,000 plus benefits. 

Interprint was named a Manufacturer of the Year at the 10th Annual Manufacturing Awards Ceremony in October. Farley-Bouvier explained that this award celebrated the company's work, contribution to Pittsfield, and its 40th anniversary in the city. 

"Later on today, you guys get to take a pretty cool vote to bring a new company into Pittsfield, and we look forward to when they celebrate their 40th year here in Pittsfield," she said. 

"But it was a city 40 years ago that invested in a company named Interpint, invested in a family, really, and they put their blood, sweat, and tears into that company." 

Interprint sells its decorative papers and films worldwide and has seen several expansions.

Toys for Tots Bringing Presents to Thousands of Kids This Year

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:21PM / Friday, December 05, 2025

Volunteers organize toys by age and gender in the House of Corrections storage facility. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Plenty of toys are on their way to children this holiday season thanks to Toys for Tots.

Christopher Keegan has coordinated the local toy drive for the Berkshire Chapter of the Marine Corps Reserve since 2015 and said he has seen the need rise every year, last year helping more than 6,000 kids.

"This is 11 years I've been doing it, and the need has gone up every year. It's gone up every year, and I anticipate it going up even more this year," Keegan said.

On Thursday, the Berkshire County House of Corrections storage facility was overflowing with toys making it the county's very own Santa's workshop. 

Keegan said Berkshire County always shows up with toys or donations. 

"This county is outstanding when it comes to charity. They rally around stuff. They're very giving, they're very generous, and they've been tremendous in this effort, the toys for pride effort, since I've been doing it, our goal is to honor every request, and we've always reached that goal," he said.

Keegan's team is about 20 to 25 volunteers who sort out toys based on age and gender. This week, the crew started collecting from the 230 or so boxes set out around the county on Oct. 1.

"The two age groups that are probably more difficult — there's a newborn to 2s, boys and girls, and 11 to 14, boys and girls. Those are the two challenging ages where we need to focus our attention on a little bit more," he said.

Toys For Tots has about 30 participating schools and agencies that sign up families and individuals who need help putting gifts under the tree. Keegan takes requests right up until the last minute on Christmas.

"We can go out shopping for Christmas. I had sent my daughter out Christmas Eve morning. Hey, we need X amount of toys and stuff, but the requests are still rolling in from individuals, and I don't say no, we'll make it work however we can," he said.

Community members help to raise money or bring in unopened and unused toys. Capeless Elementary student Thomas St. John recently raised $1,000 selling hot chocolate and used the money to buy toys for the drive.

"It's amazing how much it's grown and how broad it is, how many people who were involved," Keegan said.

On Saturday, Live 95.9 personalities Bryan Slater and Marjo Catalano of "Slater and Marjo in the Morning" will host a Toys for Tots challenge at The Hot Dog Ranch and Proprietor's Lodge. Keegan said they have been very supportive of the drive and that they were able to collect more than 3,000 toys for the drive last year.

Volunteer Debbie Melle has been volunteering with Toys for Tots in the county for about five years and said people really showed up to give this year.

"I absolutely love it. It's what we always say. It's organized chaos, but it's rewarding. And what I actually this year, I'm so surprised, because the amount that the community has given us, and you can see that when you see these pictures, that you've taken, this is probably the most toys we've ever gotten," she said. "So I don't know if people just feel like this is a time to give and they're just going above and beyond, but I'm blown away. This year we can barely walk down the aisles for how much, how many toys are here. It's wonderful."