Entrepreneurial Spirit

Pittsfield is the commercial hub of the Berkshires and stands as the launching pad of many new, creative and cutting-edge businesses, which are driving the region’s economy strongly into the 21^st Century.

The City's efforts to stimulate new business, particularly in emerging technologies, has made Pittsfield the home of a major bio-technology collaborative, Nuclea Biomarkers, LLC, working to develop new forms of treatment and even cures for diseases spearheaded the effort to encourage the development of an innovative on-line teaching initiative, WorkshopLive, which is impacting how the world learns just about anything – from playing a guitar, to advanced physics or history, and everything in between.

Today’s entrepreneurial spirit has its roots in Pittsfield’s rich history of world-changing breakthroughs, which includes the development of Lexan plastic by longtime Pittsfield resident Daniel Fox at General Electric. Lexan materials have made an incredible impact, used in everything from football helmets, to bullet-proof glass, to CDs and DVDs, and everything in between. Sabic Innovative Plastics world headquarters are located in Pittsfield, employing more than 400 people.

Some of the most sophisticated work being done for the U.S. armed forces is being done at General Dynamics Defense Systems in Pittsfield. The company, which employs more than 800 in the city, recently won a $56 million contract from the U.S. Navy to develop a new, more versatile sea vessel. The contract has the potential to increase to $117 million over the next few years.