Business updates

An artist’s rendering of Greylock Federal Credit Union’s which is expected to open Jan. 16.

Greylock Credit Union opening new branch in Lee

Greylock Federal Credit Union will open its new branch at 43 Park St. in Lee on Jan. 16. The credit union’s current Lee location at 47 Main St. will close on Jan. 8.

The new location, which is nearly three times larger than Greylock’s existing branch, has many new features including a drive-thru, ample off-street parking, one video teller service/ATM machine, and a community room. The new branch will also be in full compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For members’ convenience, a nearby fee-free ATM is available at the Sunoco gas station at 15 Park St. in Lee.

For other financial needs during the period between the old branch closing and the new one opening, members can use Greylock’s Lenox branch at 68 Main St. in Lenox.

Big Y again named to top state employers list

Big Y Foods has been selected as a Forbes “Best-In-State Employer” for the fifth straight year.

It has received that ranking from Forbes for both Massachusetts and Connecticut since 2019.

Forbes America’s Best-In-State Employers have been identified across all industries based upon an independent survey of employees who anonymously recommend their employers for this award without their employers knowledge.

Based in Springfield, Big Y operates Berkshire supermarkets in Great Barrington, Lee, North Adams and Pittsfield, and gas/convenience store locations in Lee and Pittsfield.

Carr Hardware recently donated $1,142 through its “Round Up with Carr” campaign to Thanksgiving Angels.

The campaign took place in October when Carr offered its customers the option to round their purchases to the nearest dollar during that month. The funds were collected and were donated directly to Thanksgiving Angels on Nov. 20.

Sponsored by a collaboration of 21 food pantries, organizations, and faith communities, Thanksgiving Angels addresses local food insufficiency by providing 1,800 Pittsfield-area households with uncooked turkeys and the fixings to celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving meal in their own homes.

“Neighbors helping neighbors,” said Hope Amandoa, of Thanksgiving Angels. “Thank you so much for your continued support.”

Greylock Investment Group opens new office in North Adams

Greylock Investment Group, a subsidiary of Greylock Federal Credit

Union, recently opened a new office at 131 Ashland St. in North Adams.

It will be staffed by Marissa Kirchner, an LPL Financial adviser who holds both her Series 7 and Series 66 securities licenses through LPL Financial.

Before joining Greylock Investment Group, Kirchner worked at Greylock Federal Credit Union for over 17 years in the branch and retail division as the assistant vice president of member service operations. She worked with the branch retail team, creating efficiencies within the member service areas and major projects including mergers with other credit unions.

Kirchner, a Cheshire resident, serves on the board of directors for both Northern Berkshire United Way and Berkshire Family and Individual Resources.

The office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call 413-749-8001.

1Berkshire will hold its monthly entrepreneurial meetup from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Jan. 25 at Sohn Fine Art Gallery in Lenox.

The event will feature networking, and owner Cassandra Sohn will talk about her entrepreneurial journey. 1Berkshire entrepreneurial meetups are free.

Information: 1berkshire.com.

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts has received a $306,000 Garrett Lee Smith Suicide Prevention Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Over the next three years, this funding will launch the MCLA Cares Project, an initiative to build campuswide infrastructure to support student mental health.

The MCLA Cares Project will utilize a multipronged approach to address mental health support deficits across campus. This project will engage a health promotion coordinator, a new position designed to plan and implement the grant’s activities as well as produce additional mental health and wellness programming. Grant funds will contribute significantly to training the student-facing faculty and staff in suicide awareness and prevention.

The initiative was developed in accordance with MCLA’s mission to provide an accessible liberal arts education to students traditionally underrepresented in higher education, such as first-generation students, students of color, and LGBTQIA+ identified students. The health promotion coordinator will collaborate with these groups to identify their specific needs and challenges in order to create responsive programming.

Four entities receive state funds to redevelop properties

Four Berkshire entities have received state grants to either redevelop underutilized properties or revive community spaces.

Alander Group of Great Barrington, Eagle Street Holdings LLC of North Adams and AM Management LLC of Pittsfield all received funding from the state’s Community One Stop for Growth Under Utilized Property Program, while Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association Inc. received funding from the Commonwealth Places Grant Program.

Alander Group received $450,000 to renovate and convert a historic 22,504-square-foot building in Great Barrington into two retail spaces and 13 units of mixed-income housing.

Eagle Street Holdings received $250,000 to redevelop the vacant, historic Tower and Porter Block in North Adams into nine units of market-rate housing and two commercial units.

AM Management LLC of Pittsfield received $200,000 to convert a distressed 20,000-square-foot office building in Pittsfield into 28 units of mixed-income housing.

Downtown Pittsfield Cultural Association, Inc. will use this grant to activate community spaces with lighting. Specifically, the organization will add a large-scale outdoor light show to the Festive Frolic and 10x10 Upstreet Arts festivals; install lighting in underutilized alleys that connect to the district’s parking garage; create permanent seating and add lighting to critical locations for night events; and illuminate three historic properties as part of the ongoing Berkshire Landscapes project.