Biz Briefs: Lee Outlets Expand Before Holiday Season
Outlet additions: Popular apparel retailer Guess has opened a factory store at the Lee Premium Outlets, and Toys 'R Us Express and Ten Thousand Villages are open at the center through the fall and holiday shopping seasons.
Guess offers a full range of denim, apparel and accessories for women, men and kids and, with a presence in over 80 countries, is a truly global brand that will appeal to the shoppers from far and wide who visit Lee Premium Outlets. The store is located on Main Street at the center, between Johnston & Murphy and Lindt.
Ten Thousand Villages, open through Dec. 31, showcases handmade gifts, jewelry, home decor, art and sculpture, textiles, serveware and personal accessories. The unique products and offerings represent and benefit the artisans of diverse cultures from across the globe and Ten Thousand Villages, an independent nonprofit, is one of the largest fair trade organizations in the world.
Open since the spring, Toys 'R Us Express offers toys for a variety of ages and this location features price matching and lay-away. The store will be open through Dec. 31 as well.
The business of beauty: Williamstown natives Jaycee Markovic and Christine Walsh have opened Berkshire Natural Beauty, an organic skincare company that focuses on unique combinations of fresh natural ingredients such as blueberries and cranberries that are natural antioxidants and pomegranate, rhubarb and dandelions that are bioflavonoids.
Markovic is a cosmetologist with more than 20 years of experience in skin, hair and nail care and is registered cosmetology instructor through the state of Massachusetts. The idea for the company began when the two women found it difficult to find quality organic products at a reasonable price. They began researching the best natural ingredients for your skin and how the different ingredients worked together, and then they researched a manufacturer who had all of the qualities that they were looking for.
Berkshire Natural Beauty offers body lotions, anti-aging cremes, aromatherapy bath crystals, face scrubs and even an all-natural heat gel to soothe sore muscles. They plan to add body scrubs, organic soaps and essential oils in the near future as well as gift baskets for the up-coming holiday season. All of the products are made to order in the United States; there is no animal testing and their manufacturing partner is powered with 100 percent renewable wind energy. Information can be found on their website.
The right direction: The 2017 edition of the Hilltown Business Directory is now soliciting listings. The directory has been published by Hilltown CDC for 30 years to help make hundreds of Hilltown businesses more visible and more viable. It will be delivered in January to every one of the 14,600 households in 20 towns.
The directory includes businesses in six towns in eastern Berkshire County (Dalton, Hinsdale, Peru, Becket, Washington and Windsor), nine towns in western Hampshire County (Plainfield, Cummington, Goshen, Williamsburg, Chesterfield, Westhampton, Huntington, Worthington and Middlefield) plus Chester, Blandford, Russell and Montgomery in Hampden County and Ashfield in Franklin County.
Reservation forms are available online. The deadline is Oct. 14.
Advance notice: The new Advance Auto Parts and Battery that is opening on 630 Merrill Road in Pittsfield is seeking nonprofits to set up tables during a grand opening event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 15 and 16. Nonprofits can ask for donations or give out literature about their organization.
In addition, the store is looking for a nonprofit to receive donated coats from a "coats for kids" drive from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9. For more information, email Jessica Blevins or call 413-347-4606.
Feeling charitable: Berkshire Bank was named by the Boston Business Journal as one of Massachusetts' Most Charitable Companies at the publication's annual Corporate Citizenship Summit in Boston on Sept. 8. Each year the Journal honors a select list of companies for their charitable work in the community at their annual Corporate Citizenship Summit. Berkshire Bank ranked #42 for total financial contributions with over $1.27 million donated in Massachusetts alone and more than $2 million donated overall. Massachusetts' based Bank employees also donated more than 27,000 hours of volunteer service. Berkshire Bank joined a select list of statewide, national and international companies honored at the event.
The award recognized Berkshire Bank and Berkshire Bank Foundations' philanthropic investments in the community through their charitable grants, corporate giving, scholarships, in-kind donations and employee volunteerism. Annually, Berkshire Bank and Berkshire Bank Foundation provide more than $2 million to important community organizations as well as scholarships to high school seniors with a record of academic excellence and financial need. In addition to financial support, XTEAM, the bank's Employee Volunteer Program, provides employees with paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours.
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