<PAGE> 1
EXHIBIT 99.1
<PAGE> 2
BUSINESS OF BERKSHIRE HILLS
GENERAL
Berkshire Hills was organized as a Delaware business corporation at the
direction of Berkshire Bank in January 2000 to become the holding company for
Berkshire Bank upon completion of the conversion. As a result of the conversion,
Berkshire Bank will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hills, which will
own all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of Berkshire Bank.
BUSINESS
Before the completion of the conversion, Berkshire Hills will not engage
in any significant activities other than of an organizational nature. Upon
completion of the conversion, Berkshire Hills' business activity will be the
ownership of the outstanding capital stock of Berkshire Bank and management of
the investment of offering proceeds retained from the conversion. In the future,
Berkshire Hills may acquire or organize other operating subsidiaries; however,
there are no current plans, arrangements, agreements or understandings, written
or oral, to do so.
Initially, Berkshire Hills will neither own nor lease any property but
will instead use the premises, equipment and other property of Berkshire Bank
with the payment of appropriate rental fees, as required by applicable law and
regulations.
Since Berkshire Hills will hold the outstanding capital stock of Berkshire
Bank after the conversion, the competitive conditions applicable to Berkshire
Hills will be the same as those confronting Berkshire Bank. See "BUSINESS OF
BERKSHIRE BANK--COMPETITION" in the Prospectus.
