PITTSFIELD, Mass., May 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Berkshire Hills
Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BHLB) held its annual meeting of shareholders
on May 8, in Pittsfield, Massachusetts.
Chairman, President and CEO Michael P.
Daly summarized Berkshire's
accomplishments in 2013. They included strong loan growth and
team recruitment, along with the acquisition of 20 branches in
Central New York. The year's initiatives resulted in 24%
earnings growth. Berkshire's
2013 total stock return exceeded 18%, and the annual cash dividend
was increased by 4%, providing a 3% yield. Mr. Daly concluded
with a summary of the encouraging prospects for Berkshire's further growth and
development.
Shareholders approved all proposals which were presented at the
meeting. These included:
- The election of four existing directors to new three year
terms: Michael P. Daly; Susan M. Hill; Cornelius
D. Mahoney; and John W.
Altmeyer
- Approval of a non-binding proposal to give advisory approval of
the Company's executive compensation
- Ratification of the selection of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as
the Company's independent registered public accounting firm for
fiscal year 2014
BACKGROUND
Berkshire Hills Bancorp is the parent of
Berkshire Bank – America's Most Exciting Bank®. The Company has
approximately $6.0 billion in assets
and 90 full service branch offices in Massachusetts, New
York, Connecticut, and
Vermont providing personal and
business banking, insurance, and wealth management
services.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document may contain
forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are several factors that
could cause actual results to differ significantly from
expectations described in the forward-looking statements. For a
discussion of such factors, please see Berkshire's most recent reports on Forms 10-K
and 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and
available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to
update forward-looking statements.
CONTACTS
Investor Relations Contact
Allison O'Rourke; Vice President –
Investor Relations; 413-236-3149
Media Contact
Ray Smith; Assistant Vice President
– Marketing; 413-236-3756
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SOURCE Berkshire Hills Bancorp