Pittsfield Businesses Named Finalists Economic Impact Awards

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PITTSFIELD, Mass. Mayor Peter Marchetti announced that two Pittsfield businesses, Hot Plate Brewing Co. and Interprint, were respectively named as Silver and Bronze Awardees for the 2023 MassEcon Economic Impact Awards.
 
According to MassEcon, the Economic Impact Awards celebrate companies throughout the Commonwealth for their contributions to the state's economy. Each awardee must meet three criteria including locating a new operation in Massachusetts or expanding operations resulting in added jobs and facility investment, social impact with community involvement/philanthropic efforts and internal/external equity, diversity and inclusion practices.
 
To honor these accomplishments, members of the public are invited to attend a celebration at Hot Plate, at 1 School Street, on Thursday, April 18 from 5-7 p.m. In addition, this event will include an opportunity to network with new business owners who have recently opened in Pittsfield.
 
"Interprint and Hot Plate are prime examples of thriving businesses within their industries," said Mayor Peter Marchetti. "Pittsfield continues to support the expansion of business and introduction of new businesses throughout our community."
 
The city has a variety of incentives to offer support to existing businesses who are looking to expand their operations or new businesses that want to relocate to Pittsfield.
 
Sarah Real, Owner and Head Brewer and Mike Dell'Aquila, co-founder and general manager opened Hot Plate Brewing Company in early 2023. 
 
Real is an award winning and nationally recognized home brewer.
 
The city provided Hot Plate with $140,000 of Pittsfield Economic Development funding for the creation of four full-time jobs with the addition of part-time staff positions. In addition, Hot Plate received $125,000 from the Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation for a small business loan and technical assistance grant.
 
"We're thrilled to be recognized as a Silver Awardee by MassEcon, and we definitely see this as a win for the whole community," said Real. "If it weren't for support from the City, Pittsfield residents, and all of the collaborators we've had the chance to work with, we wouldn't have been able to meet and exceed some of Hot Plate's admittedly ambitious goals."
 
Interprint, a manufacturing business located in the city since 1985, is constructing a 57,000 square foot
manufacturing facility to accommodate a project that includes three new printing presses. The city provided a 10-year tax increment financing agreement for creating 20 permanent full-time manufacturing jobs by 2025 with a total capital investment of approximately $31 million dollars.
 
"Interprint, Inc. is proud to again be recognized by MassEcon for this expansion project – the largest ever at our Route 41 facility," said Director of Communications, Peter Stasiowski. "The City of Pittsfield's continuing support has paid dividends over our nearly 40-year history as a stable and growing employer whose fulltime workforce will soon exceed 200 for the first time."
 

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Lanesborough Picks Information Panel for Public Safety Proposal

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The town has a public safety building proposal to present to taxpayers, and now, an informational committee will help move the process forward.

On Monday, the Select Board voted to form a public safety building informational outreach committee and re-appointed four members: Dean Clement, Daniel MacWhinnie, Mark Siegars, and Lisa Dachinger.

"The Public Safety Building Committee has done their job. Now we need, hopefully with some of those same bodies, to form a new committee of some type and move forward," Select Board member Timothy Sorrell explained.

Earlier this month, the town officials voted to advance a $7.3 million combined police/emergency medical services facility to town meeting, discarding the option for a $6.5 million separate build.  The same design, then priced at $5.9 million, was shot down in 2023.

"There is the option to go to what could be a debt exclusion, which requires a two-thirds majority at either a special town meeting or an annual town meeting, and that can be followed by inclusion in a ballot," Town Administrator Gina Dario said.

Siegars advised that if the question goes to a ballot first with a fixed project budget, that amount can't be changed for a subsequent special town meeting vote.

"In our discussions, there are committee members who are willing to stay on if you wanted to continue the committee or appoint to new one, who have volunteered to be involved with any public information sessions to try to answer the questions with the idea that that they would also explore further and work with Gina and town counsel on specifically what the question should be for a special town meeting, and if, if warranted a subsequent ballot vote," he reported.

Chairman Michael Murphy echoed the former committees' arguments that the town can't explore grants and financing until it has approved an amount.

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