1Berkshire Announces Its Trendsetter Winners at Celebrate The Berkshires

BERKSHIRE COUNTY, MA – The 2016 Berkshire Trendsetter Award winners have been selected. On September 15th the sixth annual Celebrate The Berkshires event was held at Tanglewood before a crowd of more than 300. Among the festivities, seven worthy individuals and organizations were selected as Berkshire Trendsetter Award winners. State Senator Benjamin Downing served as Master of Ceremonies and Mark Volpe, Managing Director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra accepted the 2016 Putting the Berkshires on the Map award. It was truly a night to remember.

The Berkshire Trendsetter Awards recognize the many different ways that people and organizations excel in several categories that showcase the Berkshires. After a comprehensive process of reviewing more than 120 quality nominations, 35 local companies and business leaders were selected as Trendsetter Awards Finalists. Out of those 35, seven winners were announced at the event.

In the Creative Economy Standout category, Blue Q was chosen for their vast array of interesting and unique products in addition to their innovative approaches to business management, teamwork, and employee growth.

The City of North Adams received the Comprehensive Marketing Campaign award for implementing a successful year-round marketing campaign that rebranded the city and attracts visitors from all over the country by combining traditional, digital, and social tactics, and has resulted in increased visitation rates to North Adams and the Berkshires.

The Newcomer of the Year award was presented to Methuselah for helping to revitalize North Street and for all they have done to attract people to Pittsfield. They provide great service, food, and drink in a trendy, hospitable and friendly atmosphere.

The Berkshire Family YMCA was named Nonprofit of the Year for their slate of community programming for people of all ages. They have worked in partnership with the CYC on a number of these programs and have collaborated and partnered with BFAIR and BCARC to provide custodial services for both YMCA locations in Pittsfield and North Adams.

Winning the Entrepreneur/Visionary of the Year award was Paul LeBlanc of Zogics in Lee for his creative and effective management style, his support of local arts and culture, and his company’s many employee programs that incentivize more environmentally friendly lifestyles.

Christina Barrett from BCC was named the Under 40 Change-Maker for her collaborative vision for Berkshire County and her desire to focus on the bigger picture while remaining involved in numerous committees, boards, and programs that are working for the betterment of our region.

The Growing & Advancing the Berkshire Economy award was presented to Unistress for their leadership in promoting the future of manufacturing in the Berkshires, their continued success in growing the company, increasing staff, and the high-quality reputation of their projects.

Closing out the evening, Tanglewood was recognized as the special honoree for Putting the Berkshires on the Map for their dedication and continued commitment to The Berkshires. Over the past 10 years close to 3.5 million people have enjoyed the “Tanglewood Experience” and it has been a cornerstone in defining The Berkshires to visitors from all over the world. They received a beautiful, one-of-a-kind hand-crafted mobile from Joel Hotchkiss of Hotchkiss Mobiles Gallery in West Stockbridge, named appropriately Overture.

Jonathan Butler, CEO of 1Berkshire thanked the Berkshire business community for its support and for showing up to celebrate all that is great in the Berkshires. “1Berkshire is proud to bring so many people together each year to celebrate our business community’s achievements, innovations and commitment to excellence,” stated Butler. “We have real momentum, not only in the fantastic support for this event but in the county-wide efforts this region is making towards growth.”

About 1Berkshire
1Berkshire is a county-wide organization focused on economic development and on promoting the region as a preferred place to visit, to live, and to grow a business. It provides programs that connect businesses with each other and with potential customers, as well work to develop future leaders and support entrepreneurs. For more information, visit 1Berkshire.com.