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Biz Briefs: Main Street Hospitality Branching Outside Massachusetts to Rhode Island
01:49PM / Monday, November 05, 2018
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The new Hammetts Wharf hotel development on the waterfront in Newport, R.I., marks Main Street Hospitality's first step outside of Massachusetts as it pursues growth throughout the Northeast.

Main Street, Rhode Island

Main Street Hospitality Group, owners and operators of boutique hotels in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts that include the iconic Red Lion Inn, has been named as the management partner for the new Hammetts Wharf hotel development on the waterfront in Newport, R.I.  This marks the company's first step outside of Massachusetts as it pursues growth throughout the Northeast.

When completed in the spring of 2020, the $29 million development will include an 84-room boutique hotel to be managed by Main Street Hospitality, as well as a 4,000-square-foot restaurant and 3,000 square feet of retail space.  Developed by Peregrine Group LLC, Hammetts Wharf is located on the waterfront adjacent to the Newport Yachting Center, a recent Peregrine Group project. Amenities of Hammetts Wharf boutique hotel include 84 thoughtfully designed rooms, seasonal valet parking, a full-service waterfront restaurant, fitness center, flexible gathering spaces, and a private deck for hotel guests.

A ceremony on October 23 marking the beginning of construction of the project was attended by Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo; Newport Mayor Harry Winthrop; State Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor; Colin Kane, principal of the Peregrine Group LLC, and Eustis, along with other members of the Main Street executive team.

 

Social Responsibility award

Berkshire Bank was recently named a winner of PR Daily's 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility Awards in the Employee Volunteer Program category. Berkshire Bank was chosen from a wide pool of entries to receive first prize in the Employee Volunteer Program category for the ingenuity and impact of its XTEAM volunteer program.  Berkshire's nationally acclaimed employee volunteer program provides employees with paid time off to volunteer during regular business hours.

Last year, 100 percent of Berkshire's employees nationally donated 40,000 hours of service to benefit community organizations. Berkshire also closes down its offices each June for its Xtraordinary Day of Service, providing all employees with an opportunity to go out in the community and volunteer as a team. In 2018, Berkshire employees completed 74 service projects that ultimately benefited more than 500,000 individuals.

Ragan's Corporate Social Responsibility Awards celebrates teams, organizations and consultants who have redefined the field with their groundbreaking work. As a winner in the program, Berkshire Bank joins an elite group of past winners, including Alex + Ani, International Paper, St. Joseph's Health, Bayer Crop Science, Arrow Electronics, Alliance Data, Viacom, U.S. Bank and Toronto Pearson Airport.

 

Nonprofit forum

Leaders from nearly 100 nonprofit organizations in the tristate area gathered Saturday, Oct. 13, for the first-ever Board Leadership Forum at Bard College at Simon's Rock in Great Barrington, Mass. The daylong training and networking opportunity drew more than 180 volunteer board leaders and more than 50 executive directors from nonprofits with a range of missions, from education to arts to health and human services, that aim to strengthen communities in Berkshire County, Mass., northwest Litchfield County, Conn., and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, N.Y.

Sponsored by Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Northwest Connecticut Community Foundation and the Foundation for Community Health, the forum featured a total of nine workshops by experts on governance, fundraising and change management from around the region. A keynote on the topic of nonprofit resilience by Rodney Christopher of Fiscal Management Associates, a consultancy that serves nonprofits and foundations nationwide, began the day. He highlighted the local work of the North East Community Center in Millerton, N.Y., where board and staff have set a sustainable course for growth during a period of significant expansion to meet demand for services.

Nonprofits of all sizes (from all-volunteer to 50-plus staff members) and budgets (from under $250,000 to over $1 million annually) were represented at the forum. Workshops focused on a range of current topics in the field, including the business case for diversity; how to close major gifts in partnership with board members; recruiting and engaging effective boards; the use of data and evaluation in planning; and the impact of organizational culture on a nonprofit’s strategic direction.

 

Expanded partnership

Haddad Dealerships of the Berkshires is expanding its partnership with MountainOne Insurance Agency to offer onsite insurance sales at Haddad Toyota, according to a joint announcement by Haddad Dealerships President George Haddad and MountainOne Insurance President Jonathan Denmark.

The strategic partnership allows MountainOne agents to sell personal insurance products within Haddad Dealership locations. Vehicle buyers work directly with MountainOne's licensed agents during a purchase in a seamless and integrated process. While obtaining vehicle insurance, buyers will also have the opportunity to review other policy needs with MountainOne's representative and take advantage of available multi-policy discounts. Clients will also be able to utilize the important in-house claims service at MountainOne Insurance, which provides personal assistance with the difficult and complex claims process, should the need arise.

In 2017, the partnership program launched with several agents onsite at Haddad's Subaru East Street location as well as offering services at Haddad Hyundai and Haddad Nissan. Now, the program has grown to include Haddad Toyota on Pittsfield-Lenox Road.  The team now includes Branch Manager Milton Ferguson and Account Executives Ryan Morrissey and James Reidy.

 

Toys for Tots Drive

Rob Adams, the local Edward Jones financial adviser, is supporting the Marines Toys for Tots program by using his office as a drop-off location for this year's toy drive. Local residents may help needy children in the area by bringing in a new, unwrapped toy to the office, 71 Main St., North Adams, during regular business hours through Dec. 10.

"With the holiday season around the corner, we are all getting ready for the festivities," Adams said. "And as this is the season of giving, now is a great time to remember the less fortunate in our community."

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