Thousands of Berkshire County Employees lost their jobs in the late 1980's and early 90s. General Electric and Sprague Electric job losses left many waiting for the next major employer to set up shop and save the day. While it is not likely that another employer with 1,000-plus jobs will find its way to the Berkshires any time soon, the good news is there is a tremendous movement to attract new companies here. Our new economy holds great promise. The wait is over. Leaders in the Berkshires are taking control of the county's economic destiny.

Look around the country to regions that are prospering such as Charlotte, North Carolina and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Our neighbor to the west, Albany, New York is also thriving. In these regions, population is expanding, wages are increasing, innovation is happening, productivity is improving and each region has become more competitive. In these prosperous environments there is more opportunity for people to find good jobs, achieve higher education, make more money, participate in their communities and lead more fulfilling lives.

This did not happen by accident. Each of these regions took control of their own destinies, created a plan for their future and made good things happen. One year ago, the Berkshire Economic Development Corporation (BEDC) was formed to lead a similar effort here. So what does an organization like the BEDC do to help the region become more prosperous? There is no prescription, no silver bullet, and no

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“off-the-shelf” solution. There is, however, an unbelievable amount of energy being exerted by many citizens to take control of the Berkshires' destiny.

The Plan

One never would think of growing a business without a plan, so how could one expect to grow our economy without one? We have a plan, the Berkshire Blueprint, and the BEDC is actively leading the development of this strategic development plan for the Berkshires. By the end of 2006, its development phase will be complete and it will be deployed.

Nearly $1 million of federal, state and local money, both public and private, is being invested into the Berkshire Blueprint. This dynamic new vision, strategy and implementation plan for the future economic development in the Berkshires consists of two projects, the Berkshire Strategy Project and the Creative Economy Strategy Project.

The Berkshire Strategy Project will evaluate the entire regional economy, as well as select industry clusters. The Creative Economy Strategy Project will focus on the “creative cluster,” comprised of non-profit institutions, individual artists and commercial businesses that produce and distribute creative products and services.

The projects, conducted as separate efforts, will intersect and be linked throughout the process. The conclusions will be woven into one comprehensive regional economic strategy, the Berkshire Blueprint. Most importantly, it is not a study, but rather leads to an implementation plan to grow the regional economy.

Attracting Investment

Success in growing a regional economy hinges on the ability to attract investment. Attracting investment means recruiting businesses and development. In the Berkshires, that also means doing this in a manner that harmonizes with what makes this area special and unique. When businesses invest in expansion activities within a region, many good things happen. More jobs are created, tax bases expand, there is more opportunity and the region prospers. It also is important to attract public investment in infrastructure, education and workforce development. Investment in these areas is critical to support a growing economy and requires active alignment with the leaders of our cities and towns, and with the Berkshire legislative delegation.

The BEDC works hard to attract investment. Over 1,200 unique visitors each month go to the site locator Website to explore the more than 120 listed sites throughout the County. Over the last year, the BEDC assisted more than 60 business ventures to evaluate opportunities in the Berkshires, helping to secure nearly 300 jobs. More importantly, marketing outreach programs and business development efforts have a created a pipeline of 40 ventures with a potential for 4,000 new jobs. Success breeds success and investment attracts investment. When a business chooses to expand in the Berkshires, it tells the rest of the world that there is something special going on here.

Attracting Talent

The key to any economic growth is the availability of talent. There are very talented people in the Berkshires, but some population and demographic trends need to be altered to make our economy more prosperous. The solution here is complex. There are locally-, regionally- and nationally-focused solutions and long-term and short-term solutions. Bottom line, we have a shrinking, aging workforce and we need to reverse this trend to a younger, growing and better-educated workforce. The BEDC is focusing squarely on the issues that are driving these trends.

In the short term, working to create visibility to a largely invisible job market has been a focus of the BEDC. Eliminating the myth that there are no opportunities in the Berkshires has been paramount. As far as a long-term focus, the BEDC has been actively engaged in expanding the Academies programs in the high schools to provide better and stronger career pathway educational programming, along with mentorship and internship opportunities. Broad, sweeping solutions like those outlined in the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education have the full support of the BEDC. And of course, people go where the money flows, so attracting investment in the Berkshires works to attract talent as well.

There will be no “white knight” and gone are the days of the “one-pony town.” The new economy of the Berkshires will depend on a more diverse, dynamic and creative focus to be competitive. Although economic development takes time, the Berkshires are entering a new era.

Public and private projects like the Berkshire Compact for Higher Education, the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative, and the Berkshire Blueprint are national role models that are not only getting traction and making the Berkshires better, but gaining attention as well.

As an active participant in attracting nearly 300 new jobs to the County since its inception last year, the BEDC has been instrumental in bringing millions of investment dollars here.

Each of these efforts alone is impressive, but the combination of all of the self-improvement within the Berkshires is staggering. The County has taken control of its economic destiny and although it won't happen overnight, the future of the Berkshires is in our hands and shining brightly.