The construction management company is deepening its roots in Western Mass with a new office in Pittsfield

WEST SPRINGFIELD—In its 17th anniversary year, Keiter is strengthening its commitment to growth by establishing a physical presence in Berkshire County.

This marks the company’s second expansion in two years and reflects its long-standing relationships and completed work in Western Mass. 

Keiter’s new Berkshire County location will be based in the Clock Tower Business Center at 75 Church Street in Pittsfield.

“For several years, we’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible clients and professionals throughout the Berkshires, and it felt like the right time to officially set roots,” said founder and CEO Scott Keiter. “We’re proud to continue to grow in a region where we’ve already begun to build strong partnerships.”

Past clients in the Berkshires include Mass Audubon Pleasant Valley Wildlife Sanctuary, Bousquet Sport, Premium Waters, Berkshire Medical Center, the town of Lenox, Saint Patrick and Raphael Church, as well as several residential clients. 

Founded in Florence and now headquartered in West Springfield, Keiter continues to prioritize strong community engagement in every region it serves. The company was once again named a “Best Place to Work” in the Daily Hampshire Gazette’s Readers’ Choice Awards—marking its second consecutive year receiving that honor—and was also recently recognized as one of New England’s Fastest Growing Companies by The Boston Globe.

Keiter is also well known for the Keiter Card campaign, which just completed its fifth year. The initiative has injected $250,000 into the Northampton economy by doubling the spending power of gift cards sold by the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Scott Keiter has served on numerous regional boards and advisory committees and was named a 2024 BusinessWest Difference Maker.

To learn more, visit Keiter.com.

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The office will be the bank’s fourth in Hampden County and is slated to open in the spring of 2026

FLORENCE—Florence Bank will take the next step in its expansion into Hampden County in August, when it breaks ground on a 2,500-square-foot office at 1504 Northampton St. in Holyoke.

The full-service Holyoke branch is expected to open in the spring of 2026 and will be the bank’s fourth in Hampden County. In August 2017, Florence Bank opened its first branch in the county in West Springfield, followed by a branch opening in Springfield early in 2019 and in Chicopee in the spring of 2021.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide our current and future customers in Holyoke with a convenient way to bank with us and look forward to serving the people, businesses and organizations in the Paper City,” said President and CEO Matt Garrity. “Our focus is on providing great customer service and helping to reinvigorate the community, and we are proud and committed to be meeting the banking needs of more residents of Hampden County.”

An invitation-only ceremonial groundbreaking event is planned for Friday, August 22 at 10 a.m. at the site of the new branch. Garrity will address an audience that is expected to include bank employees, board members, Holyoke Mayor Joshua A. Garcia, and other community leaders and elected officials.

The new branch, designed by HAI Architecture in Northampton, will provide a spacious lobby, traditional teller stations, five offices, a drive-up teller window and a drive-up ATM. 

Six employees will staff the branch, where customers can be assisted by tellers, meet with a customer service representative or apply for a mortgage or commercial loan. The bank’s Spanish-speaking mortgage originator will also be based in the new branch. 

Florence Bank has over 1,200 retail and business customers in Holyoke, and Garrity said the bank looks forward to deepening its impact in the region.

Florence Bank, chartered in 1873, is unique in that it is a mutually-owned savings bank, meaning it does not need to pay dividends to stockholders. Garrity said that mutuality allows the bank to make decisions about what’s best for customers and the community.

About Florence Bank

Florence Bank is a mutual savings bank chartered in 1873. Currently, the bank serves the Pioneer Valley through 12 full-service branch locations in Florence, Northampton, Easthampton, Williamsburg, Amherst, Hadley, Belchertown, Granby, Chicopee, West Springfield, and Springfield. Additionally, it offers 23 ATMs and a wide range of financial services, including investment management through Florence Financial Group to consumers and businesses.

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One year after Levi Smith purchased the Thornes location, and after surviving the COVID-19 shutdown, mall location to open soon

NORTHAMPTON—Levi Smith, owner of Captain Candy in the Lower Level of Thornes Marketplace, has announced he will open a second store in the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside at the end of June.

“I’ve survived the COVID-19 shutdown, and I’m excited to be opening a second store in Holyoke,” Smith said.

Captain Candy offers eclectic candies that are not the norm in grocery and convenience stores. Everything from gumballs to candy cigarettes, wax bottles full of juice, Turkish Taffy, Pop Rocks, and ZotZ. 

Smith said he was contacted in January by the owners of Pyramid Management Group, which owns over a dozen malls in the Northeast, including the Holyoke Mall. “They thought Captain Candy would be a good concept to expand into the mall,” he said, noting his shop will be located next to the Apple store on the mall’s top floor.  

Smith’s Holyoke store opening comes a little over a year after he purchased the Northampton shop from former owner Nolan Anaya. Smith was 18 at the time. 

Currently, he is a business student at Holyoke Community College.

In the early months, Smith will operate the new store to ensure a smooth start, and then he will hire as needed. 

Currently, Smith, of Northampton, and six part-time employees operate the Thornes location.

After he purchased the Thornes location for an undisclosed amount, Anaya served as a mentor to Smith. “He’s still a resource to me,” Smith said. “He’s been very helpful, but he doesn’t have an active role anymore.”

Smith’s grandfather, Roger Fuller, owns R&R Window Contractors, Inc., in Easthampton, and his family has long been involved in the business. 

Captain Candy has been located in Thornes since 2013.

For store hours or more information, visit captaincandy.org

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