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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Letter: Is the Select Board Listening to Dalton Voters?

Letter to the Editor

To the Editor:

A reasonable expectation by the people of a community is that their Select Board rises above personal preference and represents the collective interests of the community. On Tuesday night [Nov. 12], what occurred is reason for concern that might not be true in Dalton.

This all began when a Select Board member submitted his resignation effective Oct. 1 to the Town Clerk. Wishing to fill the vacated Select Board seat, in good faith I followed the state law, prepared a petition, and collected the required 200-plus signatures of which the Town Clerk certified 223. The Town Manager, who already had a copy of the Select Board member's resignation, was notified of the certified petitions the following day. All required steps had been completed.

Or had they? At the Oct. 9 Select Board meeting when Board members discussed the submitted petition, there was no mention about how they were informed of the petition or that they had not seen the resignation letter. Then a month later at the Nov. 12 Select Board meeting we learn that providing the resignation letter and certified petitions to the Town Manager was insufficient. However, by informing the Town Manager back in October the Select Board had been informed. Thus, the contentions raised at the Nov. 12 meeting by John Boyle seem like a thinly veiled attempt to delay a decision until the end of January deadline to have a special election has passed.

If this is happening with the Special Election, can we realistically hope that the present Board will listen to the call by residents to halt the rapid increases in spending and our taxes that have been occurring the last few years and pass a level-funded budget for next year, or to not harness the taxpayers in town with the majority of the cost for a new police station? I am sure these issues are of concern to many in town. However, to make a change many people need to speak up.

Please reach out to a Select Board member and let them know you are concerned and want the Special Election issue addressed and finalized at their Nov. 25 meeting.

Robert E.W. Collins
Dalton, Mass.

 

 

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