Berkshire Hills Bancorp Completes Firestone Financial Acquisition

NEEDHAM, MA -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp said it has completed its acquisition of Firestone Financial Corp., announced two months ago. Firestone now is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Bank, operating as Firestone Financial LLC.

Berkshire president and chief executive Michael P. Daly welcomed Firestone's customers, employees and shareholders to "America's most exciting bank." He observed that the transaction has increased both companies' client offerings, diversified the loan portfolio and opened a valuable channel for growth.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, the parent company of Berkshire Bank, has approximately $7.5 billion in assets and 93 full-service branch offices in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, and Vermont. The bank's Firestone unit is led by David Cohen and Scott A. Cooper, both of whom joined the company in the 1980s.