The Berkshires as 1-’1Berkshire’ unifies efforts of 4 leading county agencies
By Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle Staff
Thursday April 15, 2010
PITTSFIELD — The boards of four countywide economic development agencies have formed a new alliance to provide a single point of entry for those interested in doing business in the county and to act as one outlet in marketing and promoting the Berkshires.
Known as “1Berkshire,” it is intended to streamline and coordinate the region’s economic development engine, and it unifies the efforts of the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation, the Berkshire Creative Economy Council, and the Berkshire Visitors Bureau.
While these agencies have worked together before, 1Berkshire represents the first time they will have true synergy. Their boards of trustees voted unanimously to participate in 1Berkshire.
“What we recognize is that each of these four economic development agencies do what they do extremely well,” said Laurie Norton Moffatt, the director and CEO of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, a volunteer member of 1Berkshire’s steering committee. “They’re very talented and have developed a Berkshire business brand for their particular sector.
“What is innovative about this is that we are cutting across these sectors to promote this region as one whole,” she said.
“[1Berkshire] is not just another organization,” said Berkshire Bank President and CEO Michael P. Daly, who co-chairs the new group. “It’s a combination of all four organizations.”
Berkshire residents and visitors will soon see 1Berkshire’s presence. 1Berkshire is embarking on an advertising campaign this summer to promote “The Berkshires” brand — a move that will capitalize on the region’s notoriety as a world-class destination, known for its scenic beauty, arts and culture, quality of life, innovative spirit, and its leadership in business and education. While the Berkshires has long been known for these things, National Geographic Traveler magazine recently ranked the place as the seventh best in the world — and 1Berkshire intends to cultivate and grow that notoriety.
The unified effort will promote the Berkshires as the place to live, work and play. It aims to pull together a cohesive force to attract businesses and entrepreneurs, and to help them locate or grow in the county. For the prospective business, 1Berkshire will be a “one-stop shopping” point for inquiries and opportunities in the Berkshires. 1Berkshire will soon have its own toll-free telephone number and a Web site.
“We can put you into realtors,” Norton Moffatt said. “If you’re interested in the schools in the region, we have connections there. You need some major industrial site to renovate? Here’s our inventory of warehouses. You’re moving spouses with your employers? Here’s a list of colleges in the region and major employers.
“It’s full service for all of the needs that someone would have both coming into the Berkshires, but also scaling up,” she said.
According to 1Berkshires, success will be measured in the prosperity of existing businesses, investments in new ventures, job creation, career opportunities, growth in the work force, and an increase in tourism.
But 1Berkshire is still in the formative stages. It has an interim board comprised of representatives of the four agencies, and an all-volunteer steering committee consisting of five members, who head three task forces that are charged with building the alliance, Norton Moffatt said.
One task force is charged with raising money for 1Berkshire, while another group’s mission is to determine how the entity will operate.
“We’re working this out right now,” said Joseph Thompson, the director and CEO of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams, who heads the task force focused on operations and administration. “There’s a commitment from all four of these organizations to head down this path. We have six months of really hard and detailed work to figure out exactly how it’s done.”
Roger O. Goldman of Alford will co-chair 1Berkshire with Daly and serve as the entity’s interim CEO on a pro bono basis. A 30-year veteran of the banking industry, Goldman is the managing director of the Berkshire Opportunity Fund, an investment fund that provides capital to growing businesses in and around the Berkshires.
Goldman said 1Berkshire wasn’t formed to replace the four participating agencies, but he didn’t rule out the possibility of some sort of restructuring in the future.
“How this ends up, assuming there is an end, is an unknown,” Goldman said. “Maybe we end up with some kind of council. Maybe we end up with three groups, maybe we end up with two, maybe we end up with five. It doesn’t really matter at this point. What matters is that if we work together we’re far greater than the sum of the parts.”
Bringing new businesses to the region will help companies that are already here, Daly said.
“When more businesses come here we bring in more people, and more customers start to do business,” he said. “The greater growth we have in this community helps businesses that are already in Berkshire County.”
Norton Moffatt said 1Berkshire has the backing of Gov. Deval L. Patrick’s administration, and the county’s state legislative contingent.
Daly, Goldman, Norton Moffatt, and Thompson unveiled the 1Berkshires plan this week at a meeting with The Eagle’s editorial board. Attorney C. Jeffrey Cook of the law firm of Cohen, Kinne, Valicenti and Cook of Pittsfield is also a member of the volunteer steering committee.
