"I am pleased to welcome Castle Windows to the Berlin business community,” said Mayor Adam Salina at a Feb. 4 ribbon-cutting ceremony. “Castle will be a great addition to the vibrant business mix in East Berlin's Commerce Street and Clark Drive business park.”

Castle Windows representative Joe DeCiuceis cut the ribbon at the grand opening to celebrate a new beginning in the new Connecticut office. Castle Windows Connecticut office was forced to relocate after a December fire in its Newington office. Company representatives said the new space is larger and more consumer- friendly.

Castle Windows is a multi-million dollar, New Jersey-based company that manufactures energy efficient and environmentally friendly products; specifically custom-made windows and doors. Castle Windows, established over thirty years ago, operates in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Ohio Valley. It provides service to the entire Northeast region. All windows are manufactured in the United States. To learn more visit www.castlethewindowpeople.com.

 

Liberty Bank, headquartered in Middletown, cut the ribbon Feb. 4 on a new branch office at 1169 Farmington Ave.

The Berlin branch is the 37th in Liberty’s network, which extends throughout the central, eastern, and shoreline areas of the state. Conveniently located on Rte. 372 within easy reach of Rtes. 9, 5 and 15, the new location is poised to serve the deposit and lending needs of the immediate area’s 7,000 households and businesses, and the hundreds of existing Liberty Bank customers.

At the ribbon-cutting event, the bank announced it had set aside $3.7 million to loan at a discounted interest rate to qualified applicants seeking to purchase a home in Berlin.

“Liberty Bank wants to help stimulate the housing market right here in Berlin,” said Liberty Bank President and CEO Chandler J. Howard. “We hope this program will make a big statement about Liberty Bank’s commitment to the Berlin community and our willingness to lend.”

Loans will be made on a first-come, first-served basis until the loan pool is exhausted. More information about this offer may be obtained from any associate at Liberty Bank’s Berlin office.

The bank also announced a seven-month campaign, called “Study Buddies,” to assist children in town in need of back-to-school supplies. Liberty Bank will donate $5.00 to the Study Buddies fund every time a new customer opens a personal checking account at the bank’s Berlin office until August 15. Customers are welcome to make their own contributions of money or materials for the drive. At the beginning of the 2010 school year, collected funds will be used to purchase backpacks and back-to-school supplies for kindergarten through grade 12 Berlin students in need. To date, the bank has contributed $2,015 the fund.

At the event, the bank also presented a total of $8,000 in grants from the Liberty Bank Foundation to five Berlin nonprofit agencies: the Hospital of Central Connecticut, Berlin UpBeat, Berlin Community Services, the YMCA of New Britain-Berlin, and the Berlin-Peck Memorial Library.

“We think it’s important to let people know that we’re not just a great bank, we’re a good neighbor as well,” said Branch Manager Michele Tine.

Liberty Bank’s Berlin office is open: Monday through Wednesday 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Thursday through Friday 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The drive-up teller window opens at 8:30 a.m.

Established in 1825, Liberty Bank is Connecticut’s oldest mutual bank, with more than $3 billion in assets, and 37 branches throughout the state’s central, southeastern, and shoreline areas. As a full-service financial institution, it offers consumer and commercial banking, home mortgages, insurance, and investment services. Rated outstanding by federal regulators on its community reinvestment efforts, Liberty Bank maintains a longstanding commitment to superior personal service and unparalleled community involvement.