PITTSFIELD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 7, 2005--Berkshire Hills
Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (AMEX:BHL), the holding company for
Berkshire Bank (the "Bank") announced today that the Bank has opened a
full-service branch in Shoppers World Plaza, located at 15 Park Avenue
in Clifton Park, New York. This is the Bank's second branch opened
this year in the Capital Region of Albany and its third in the state
of New York. The Bank offers a full array of financial products and
services at the new Clifton Park branch, including personal and
business checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, IRAs,
safe deposit boxes, an ATM, residential and commercial mortgages, auto
loans and a wide variety of other types of commercial and consumer
loans, home equity loans, retirement products and wealth and
investment management.
The Bank also has full-service branches in Oriskany Falls and at
41 State Street in Albany, as well as a representative office at 54
State Street in Albany. The Company made an earlier announcement that
it expects to open a full-service Bank branch in East Greenbush later
this year.
Commenting on the Bank's continued expansion in New York, Michael
P. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company and the
Bank, said, "Berkshire Bank has many customers in Clifton Park and the
surrounding areas, so we are pleased that they, as well as the new
customers we attract, will be able to access our full line of
commercial and consumer loan and deposit products and services. We
have a well-known, experienced team in Clifton Park that will give our
customers the personal attention they might not receive from larger
banks, yet we offer the sophisticated banking products and services of
much larger banks. Clifton Park is an important community for us, and
we are very pleased with the new facility."
The manager of the new branch is Malta resident Stephan O.
Scribner. Mr. Scribner is a native of Clifton Park and a graduate of
Shenendehowa High School and the College of Saint Rose. He holds a
Certified Financial Planning(R) designation from the College for
Financial Planning. He comes to Berkshire from Key Bank where he was
employed in various positions since 1995, most recently as a branch
sales manager in Latham.
Kimberley Riggs Halusic, a resident of Mechanicville, New York
will serve as business development officer of the new branch. Ms.
Riggs, who attended Champlain College, also comes from Key Bank in
Albany where she was employed as a Relationship Manager since 1999.
Prior to that, she was an assistant branch manager for Fleet Bank in
Clifton Park.
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Berkshire
Bank. Established in 1846, Berkshire Bank is one of Massachusetts'
oldest and largest independent banks and is the largest banking
institution based in Western Massachusetts. The Bank is headquartered
in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with branch offices serving communities
throughout Western Massachusetts and Northeastern New York and a
representative office in New York. The Bank is committed to continuing
to operate as an independent super community bank, delivering
exceptional customer service and a broad array of competitively priced
retail and commercial products to its customers.
Statements contained in this news release contain forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Legislation
Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on the beliefs and
expectations of management, as well as the assumptions made using
information currently available to management. Since these statements
reflect the views of management concerning future events, these
statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These risks
and uncertainties include, among others: changes in market interest
rates and general and regional economic conditions; changes in
government regulations; changes in accounting principles; and the
quality or composition of the loan and investment portfolios and other
factors that may be described in the Company's quarterly reports on
Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30, September 30, and
in its annual report on Form 10-K, each filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission, which are available at the Securities and
Exchange Commission's Internet Web site (www.sec.gov) and to which
reference is hereby made. Therefore, actual future results may differ
significantly from results discussed in these forward-looking
statements.
CONTACT: Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
Michael P. Daly, 413-236-3194
President and Chief Executive Officer
SOURCE: Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.