PITTSFIELD, Mass., May 22, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp (Nasdaq:BHLB) was named as one of the 100 top performing Massachusetts-based public companies by The Boston Globe in its annual survey of the Best of Massachusetts Business. The Globe survey identifies the best local businesses based on growth of revenues, profitability, return on shareholder equity, and size. This is the eighth year in a row that Berkshire has received this recognition. Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of Berkshire Bank, America's Most Exciting Bank(sm).
Michael P. Daly, Berkshire's President and Chief Executive Officer said, "We are pleased that we continue to be recognized as a Top Performing Massachusetts company. As America's Most Exciting Bank(sm), we deliver an engaging and high-value customer experience which then results in our top performing metrics. We now have 38 banking offices and 10 insurance offices serving Western Massachusetts and reaching into New York and Vermont. As a public company, many of our investors are also based in Massachusetts. Berkshire reported record earnings in 2007 and for the first quarter of 2008. In 2007, the total market performance of our stock exceeded the average for all public banks and thrifts. Our success is also a result of careful credit management. We have not operated subprime lending programs, and our loans are to borrowers in and around our primary markets. We believe that our focus on customer satisfaction, growth, earnings, and asset quality are important contributors to our recognition as a Top Performing Massachusetts company."
Berkshire Hills Bancorp is a regional financial services company with assets of $2.5 billion. Headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, it is the parent of Berkshire Bank - America's Most Exciting Bank(sm). Through its subsidiaries, Berkshire provides business and consumer banking, insurance, and wealth management services through 48 banking and insurance offices in Western Massachusetts, Northeastern New York, and Southern Vermont. For more information, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.
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