Biz Briefs: April 14-20| 11:49AM / Thursday, April 14, 2016 | |
 Ruby Sparks is celebrating five years in business. |
 Ruby Sparks is celebrating five years in business. |
Grants for businesses: The Pittsfield Economic Revitalization Corporation is seeking applicants for matching grants of up to $5,000 that it can award to businesses in Pittsfield and Berkshire County for technical assistance services, such as financial, architectural, legal, engineering, or specialized business planning services. The funding was awarded to PERC by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation.
The purpose of the technical assistance grant program is to help small businesses with 20 or fewer employees expand, grow, improve their operations and create jobs. All individuals, especially women, minorities, immigrants, under-resourced, previously unemployed and military veterans are encouraged to apply for these funds. Applications will be accepted through mid-May and grants will be committed by June.
Applications are reviewed by a PERC committee, prior to being committed by the Board of Directors. Decisions are based on the merit of each project and the eligibility of the applicant for the program. Program information and eligibility guidelines are located online.
Clothing store anniversary: Ruby Sparks, a privately own ladies boutique in Williamstown, will celebrate its fifth anniversary on Saturday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be refreshments, trivia, drawings and free giveaways.
Ruby Sparks was opened on April 18, 2011, by Jo Ellen Harrison, who ith the help of retail veteran Cindy Jeandell put together a ladies clothing and accessories boutique that “has a sense of adventure, fun and freedom.” The store carries vendors like Eileen Fisher, Nic & Zoe, Comfy, Gurhan, and Donna Morgan to name a few.
Ruby Sparks is located at 37 Spring St.
Hospital named great place to work: Southwestern Vermont Health Care in Bennington, Vt., has been named by Becker's Healthcare—publisher of Becker’s Hospital Review, one of the industry’s most influential sources of news for hospital leaders—to the 2016 list of "150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.”
The list features both U.S. healthcare provider organizations and other types of healthcare-specific companies. It has been published every year since 2011. It is free to nominate, and organizations cannot pay for inclusion on this list.
In addition to the 150 Great Places to Work recognition, Southwestern Vermont Health Care has been named by Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce as one of Vermont’s Best Places to Work for two years in a row.
Outlets fashion show: Dive into spring fashion with a trip to Lee Premium Outlets for the “Spring into Fashion and Discover the Perfect Gift” Fashion Show on Saturday, April 23, at 10 a.m. All shoppers are invited to check out the latest styles for the season and enjoy a day of shopping as they get ready to put away those winter clothes and enjoy spring. This is also an excellent opportunity to find that ideal gift for Mother’s Day.
Participating retailers include: GAP Factory, Banana Republic Factory Store, Chico’s, Nine West Outlet and more. The show will be held at Suite 510 (next to Jockey and Skechers).
Mortgage giveaway: Berkshire Bank has announced the winner of the Exciting Rewind Mortgage Giveaway.
The winner of The Exciting Rewind is Michael Anderson, active member of the United States Coast Guard, of Littleton, Mass. As the winner, Anderson will be awarded with $12,000 to assist in paying his mortgage for the year. The giveaway was only extended to active military members and eligible veterans, serving as an extension of the dedication of Berkshire Bank to the servicemen and servicewomen of our country.
Berkshire Bank has a history of making banking easier for our servicemen and servicewomen by providing discounts, money management tools, banking and lending offers to save money so they can make the most of life’s exciting moments.
Chamber networking event: The North Adams Chamber of Commerce will host a Networking Event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 19, for people to come and hear the ways the Northern Berkshire Community Coalition is helping the community address ways to increase the quality of life by organizing, supporting, and empowering the people in our community. Learn how they are invested in making changes daily in North Adams one person at a time.
The event will be held in the offices of NBCC, 61 Main St., Second Floor. Register online.
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