Berkshire Bank Opens Full-Service Branch in Guilderland, New York; New branch located at 20 Mall, 2080 Western Avenue.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ:BHLB), the holding company for Berkshire Bank (the "Bank") announced today that the Bank has opened a full-service branch at 20 Mall, 2080 Western Avenue, Guilderland, New York. The Bank offers a complete line of financial products and services, including personal and business checking and savings accounts, certificates of deposit, money market accounts, IRAs, an ATM, safe deposit boxes, residential and commercial mortgages, auto loans and a wide variety of other types of commercial and consumer loans, home equity loans, retirement products and wealth and investment management.

All deposits at the Bank in excess of FDIC insurance limits are 100 percent insured, without exception, by the Depositors Insurance Fund. No other bank or credit union in New York offers this protection.

Commenting on the opening of the Bank's newest branch, Michael P. Daly, President and Chief Executive Officer noted, "We are very pleased to be part of the Guilderland community. This is the third branch in the Albany Capital Region we have established within the past month, giving us six New York branches and a total of 27 branches and 37 ATMs throughout Northeastern New York and Western Massachusetts. We have also previously announced the planned opening of two additional branches, one in Halfmoon and the other in Colonie, by the end of this year."

Mr. Daly added, "Berkshire Bank has a highly regarded team of seasoned commercial leaders, led by our Regional President, Tom Crowley, and residential mortgage specialists and branch personnel serving our customers throughout the Albany Capital Region. In Guilderland, Alka Shah and Susanne Sikora, respectively our branch manager and assistant manager, and their team are ready to assist our customers with all of their banking and other financial needs."

Alka A. Shah recently joined Berkshire Bank after four years as a branch manager with Charter One (now Citizens Bank) in East Greenbush, Albany and Troy. Prior to that, she was employed for four years as an assistant branch manager by Trustco Bank in Albany and Niskayuna. She earned an associate's degree in computer science from Bombay Institute of Technology. Ms. Shah resides in Albany.

Susanne Sikora has returned to Berkshire Bank after eight years with State Employees Federal Credit Union in Albany where she was a consumer loan officer. She previously was employed by Berkshire Bank for ten years, first as a teller and then a teller supervisor in Berkshire County before she moved to Albany.

To celebrate the opening of the 20 Mall, Guilderland branch and the recently opened branches at 602 Columbia Turnpike in East Greenbush and Delaware Plaza in Delmar, the Bank will hold grand opening celebrations at all three of those branches beginning on Saturday, June 24th. Details about these grand opening celebrations are available at all of the Bank's Capital Region branches and in the Bank's ads in the local media.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. is the holding company for Berkshire Bank. Established in 1846, Berkshire Bank is one of Massachusetts' oldest and largest independent banks and the largest banking institution based in Western Massachusetts. The Bank is headquartered in Pittsfield, Massachusetts with branches serving communities throughout Western Massachusetts and Northeastern New York. The Bank is transitioning into a regional bank and is positioning itself as the financial institution of choice in its retail and commercial markets, delivering exceptional customer service and a broad array of competitively priced deposit, loan, insurance, wealth management and trust services, and investment products. For more information on Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. or Berkshire Bank, visit www.berkshirebank.com or call 800-773-5601.