New Owners of Shine Wire Say Company Will Stay in Adams

ADAMS, Mass. — Adams-based Shine Wire has been acquired by ComSonics Product Solutions. 

Former Shine Wire owner Greg Shine and John Tayloe, vice president of manufacturing solutions at ComSonics, informed the Board of Selectmen of the merger on Wednesday. Shine, which has operated in Adams since 1989, has about 45 employees and plans to add more in the future. 

The electronic contract manufacturer specializes in cable assemblies, wire harnessing, and electro-mechanical assemblies for use in testing, engineering, medical, aeronautics, military and Homeland Security. It operates out of a 30,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in the Adams Corporate Park.

Shine said the business will remain in town and he will continue to be a part of it after the acquisition. 

"What really solidified the deal was, when I met with Brett Harrison the CEO and John [Tayloe], was their commitment to the town of Adams, to Berkshire County and, most importantly, to the Shine employees," he said. 

Tayloe said ComSonics felt Shine was a good fit for acquisition. He said it would allow the Virginia-based company to expand into Massachusetts. 

"Great group of people, I've really really enjoyed getting to know them," Tayloe said about SHINE's employees. "I have a lot of fun with those folks. They are hardworking, they are very skilled people, it's what they do. They take what they do very, very seriously." 

ComSonics, Tayloe said, is 100 percent employee-owned and has been since 1985. Shine said the employee ownership aspect of the business was one of the main reasons he decided to sell to ComSonics over other options. 

"So all of the former Shine employees are now our employee-owners," he said. "It's something I could never give the employees. I couldn't give them ownership the way it was structured prior. But now, every single employee is an owner, anybody new would be an owner." 

ComSonics was incorporated in 1972 originally as an audio design and installation company and has one of the oldest employee stock ownership plans, or ESOP. 

In other business, Hank Art, chair of the Mohawk Trail Woodlands Partnership, presented the draft 10-year plan to the board. 

The partnership has been constructing a revised plan for several months and is looking for community feedback. Those interested can find the plan on the group's website, where community members can leave feedback. 

"We decided we needed to get more feedback from the public and municipalities before we move on rushing into this. We wanted to do it right rather than do it fast ... because this plan is quite different than the original one that was done back in 2015," Art said, noting the partnership intends to approve a new plan in September or October. 

Art said the partnership is always searching for potential funding from local, state and federal agencies. The group has not received any annual funds from either the state or federal government. 

The board approved adding another warrant to the annual town meeting, which would rescind a garbage disposal requirement bylaw. The bylaw stipulates any new buildings in town have a garbage disposal. 

The board approved the FY23 Transfer Station fees, which will remain the same as last year.

The board ratified the contract of Department of Public Works skilled laborer Anthony Fiore. Fiore will begin at the position on June 2. 

Cheshire Opens Tree Festival, Clarksburg Children Sing

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:28PM / Monday, December 02, 2024

Santa arrives in Cheshire to lead the parade to the tree lighting. 

CHESHIRE, Mass. — The town center was alive with holiday cheer on Sunday evening as Santa Claus led a brigade of hay rides from the Festival of Trees to the Christmas tree lighting.

Cheshire was one of three North Berkshire communities on Sunday that marked the beginning of the holiday season with tree lightings and events.

The third annual festival, which opened on Sunday, showcases more than 70 decorated trees from local businesses and town departments. It has grown yearly, with 32 trees in the first year and 53 in the second year.

DPW Director Corey McGrath said the event exceeded expectations and the camaraderie between town departments made it easy to plan.

"It falls into place," he said. "… you put it out there, you build it, and they come."

McGrath sais when he started the event, there were going to be 13 town committee trees to match the windows of the Cheshire Community House's main room "and they said 'No, go big.'"

"That's what we've got now," he said. "Through the whole month, it will just be endless people all day."

The evening began at the tree show with live holiday music and adorned greenery around every corner.  Santa arrived in a firetruck and attendees were transported to the Old Town Hall for the Christmas tree lighting, later returning to the Community House for refreshments.

Town Administrator Jennifer Morse said businesses and departments called to reserve trees donated by Whitney's Farm and voters will choose a winner by the end of the festival. The best in show will get a free tree from the farm next year.

There was also a raffle to benefit the Recreation Committee.

"It’s open all the way until the 29th," Morse said. "So people are welcome to come in at any point [during open hours] and look at it."

Selectwoman Michelle Francesconi said planning has been "really smooth."

"I think that the town employees and volunteers have all kind of settled in now that it is the third year of the event and the festive atmosphere starts the week of Thanksgiving when all of the trees start getting set up and Christmas music is playing in town offices," she explained.

"There is so much interest that we have more interest than we have space for the trees so, at some point in time we'll be pretty full but I think that the community is anticipating the event now every year and the word is spreading."

She added that there is a lot of interest in tree theming and that volunteers and businesses are enthusiastic about creating something new and exciting.

The tree at Old Town Hall was donated by Youth Center Inc. and a child was selected to help Santa light it.

"Differences are always put aside when it comes to something like this," McGrath said.

Adams also hosted carriage rides around the downtown, a visit with Santa Claus in the Town Common's gazebo and hot cocoa and candy from the Adams Lions Club. The tree was lighted about 4:30.

Santa, or one of his helpers, was also in Clarksburg, above, and in Adams.

In Clarksburg, preschoolers and kindergartners from school serenaded the crowd at annual Christmas tree lighting at Peter Cooke Memorial Town Field.

More than 100 people turned out to welcome Santa Claus as he arrived by fire engine and cheer as he threw the switch to illuminate the tannenbaum and get the season going in the town of 1,600.

 

The scene then shifted to the park's gazebo, where the youngest pupils from the town school — joined by a few first-graders — sang "Must Be Santa" and "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."

 

Then it was time for the main purpose of the season: giving to others.

 

The Clarksburg Veterans of Foreign Wars once again distributed checks to local non-profits.

 

The VFW chapter distributed $10,250 that it raised over the past year from a mail campaign and its annual golf tournament.

 

The biggest beneficiary was the Parent-Teacher Group at the elementary school, which received $4,000. Other groups benefiting from the VFW program included the cancer support groups AYJ Fund and PopCares, the Drury High School band, the St. Elizabeth's Rosary Society, the Clarksburg Historical Commission, town library and Council on Aging.