Lenco Armored Vehicles Wins Gold at MassEcon Impact Awards

07:04AM / Sunday, May 10, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Lenco Armored Vehicles has been named the Gold Winner for the Western Massachusetts region at the 22nd Annual Team Massachusetts Economic Impact Awards.

The award, presented by MassEcon, recognizes Lenco's significant contributions to the Commonwealth's economy through facility investment, job creation, and community engagement.

The award recognizes a recent $5 million investment in Lenco's Pittsfield manufacturing facility. The equipment and facility upgrades are designed to streamline production and meet the increasing global demand for the BearCat, Lenco's iconic armored rescue vehicle.

"We are honored to be recognized by MassEcon and the Commonwealth for our commitment to growth here in Western Massachusetts," said Lenny Light, Executive Vice President at Lenco Armored Vehicles. "Our $5 million investment in Pittsfield isn't just about upgrading machinery, it's about investing in our workforce and ensuring that the world's most advanced rescue vehicles continue to be built right here in the Berkshires."

Lenco was selected as the Gold winner following a rigorous evaluation process that included site visits, interviews with regional judges, and a competitive "pitch" session. MassEcon's leadership praised the awardees for their resilience and dedication to the local economy.

"These are amazing employers with stories that would make every Massachusetts resident proud," said Peter Abair, MassEcon CEO and Executive Director. "We are honored to recognize their investments in new jobs and facilities in our Commonwealth".

The 22nd Annual Impact Awards ceremony took place on April 16, 2026, at Gillette Stadium, where Lenco was formally recognized alongside 12 other innovative companies from across the state.

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Pittsfield Plans to Replace Bridge Over Daniels Brook

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:06PM / Wednesday, October 28, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass.— The city plans to replace a deteriorating bridge on Hancock Road over Daniels Brook.

Last week, the Conservation Commission continued a notice of intent application for the project to its November meeting to get more information on water flow.

"It's a great project. We like it. We just want to make sure it's done correctly as well," Commissioner Jonathan Lothrop explained.

Pittsfield proposes replacing the crumbling bridge with a 17-foot-wide hydraulic span underneath to an embedded precast box culvert with a span of 26 feet. The .37 work area extends about 200 feet along Hancock Road, north of 615 Hancock Road.

Contractors from Fuss & O'Neill presented to the commission. A budget was not provided.

"I think overall, this is going to be a really great improvement for traffic traveling over this bridge and for wildlife living under this bridge," Natural Resources Scientist Megan Woytik said.

The 1930 bridge is showing cracking, spalling, exposed steel supports, and section loss. It was determined that repairs would retain deteriorated components and yield fewer long-term benefits, while a full replacement also improves hydraulic capacity and aquatic organism passage.

Engineers pointed to exposed, corroding reinforcement and an existing guardrail that is no longer embedded into the structure. Rigid barriers were placed on either side of the road so that vehicles can't impact the rail.

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