Quarterlytics / Financial Services / Banks - Regional / Berkshire Hills Bancorp

Berkshire Hills Bancorp

bhlb · NASDAQ Financial Services
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Ticker bhlb
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Financial Services
Industry Banks - Regional
Employees 1001-5000
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FY2017 Annual Report · Berkshire Hills Bancorp
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2017 SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT

60State Street

BOSTON, MA

A TRANSFORMATIONAL YEAR

DEAR SHAREHOLDERS, CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES:

2017 was a big year for us. We delivered significant growth, steady progress toward 
our profitability goals and the development of new markets and teams. Our major 
accomplishments included:

• Growing net revenue by more than 40%
• Gaining a major position in Worcester, MA — an important regional market
• Moving our corporate headquarters to Boston
• Crossing the $10 billion threshold for total assets
•  Completing our largest acquisition and successfully managing our  
largest stock offering to date

In addition to solid organic growth, critical components of our success were the 
acquisition of Worcester-based Commerce Bancshares Corp. in October and the 
integration of Princeton, NJ area First Choice Bank acquired in December 2016. Our 
Company has a strong M&A track record which underpins our attractive positioning as 
a regional consolidator.

We’re now the largest regional bank holding company headquartered in Boston and the 
third largest in New England. We’re uniquely positioned to serve the needs and support 
the growth of Greater Boston, the sixth largest combined statistical area in the country. 
Through all of the change, we continue to maintain our focus on improving profitability, 
growing overall revenues and managing our expenses. 

Improving Profitability, Strengthening Our Condition
We continue to execute on our strategy of improving profitability through scale and 
smart management of our business mix. Pre-tax earnings increased by 29% to $100 
million in 2017, and the pre-tax return on average assets improved by 5%. Including 
our Worcester operations, the fourth quarter efficiency ratio improved to 57% in 2017, 
achieving our stated goal of sub-60%. 

Our metrics of financial condition all improved during the year – capital, liquidity, asset 
quality and interest rate sensitivity. While the economic climate is good, we are in an 

Percent Increase

e 41 %

u
n
e
v
e
R

hold er’s  E q u ity37%
re-tax  E a rnings 

2

P

re
a
h
S

9

%

Culture  
As America’s Most 
Exciting Bank, we 
are passionate about 
practicing and living 
by the RIGHT values 
(Respect, Integrity, 
Guts, Having Fun and 
Teamwork).

Footprint  
With corporate 
headquarters in Boston, 
we are the largest 
Massachusetts-based 
regional bank — bringing 
our culture of excitement 
to communities across 
the Northeast and 
serving specialty 
lending and mortgage 
customers nationally.

Vision 
By combining a strong 
employee base, a 
dedicated strategy and 
operational efficiency,  
we can offer our 
customers the products 
and services they need, 
our employees an 
inspirational place to 
work, our communities 
the support they are 
looking for and our 
shareholders the returns 
they deserve.

1

2017 Summary Annual Report

2017  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTSextended recovery cycle and we believe it is 
prudent to remain vigilant with respect to our 
credit and risk disciplines. Federal income tax 
reform was enacted near year-end, which 
is expected to provide a boost to our local 
economies and benefit Berkshire’s statutory 
tax rate beginning in 2018. This reform 
necessitated a one-time charge at the end 
of 2017, which reduced our income after 
taxes.

Culture First
Our primary focus is on our team and culture – 
our employees remain central to everything we do. 
Tough, smart, authentic and devoted defines our people, and we 
challenge them to be the best they can be, both inside and outside 
of work. We ask them to stretch and grow and we provide them with 
the tools and support to reach new heights. When our people are 
at their best, our customers, communities and shareholders are all 
rewarded. 

Our staff has grown to over 2,000 strong, and reaches across 
regional and national markets. Our MyTeller virtual tellers and 
MyBankers are providing new levels of convenience and access 
for our customers. Our first focus is always on organic business 
development, but our team is adept at evaluating and executing  
on merger opportunities when they come along. They worked  
with exceptional dispatch to accomplish the year’s merger-related 
activities.

We felt it was important to share the benefit of the federal tax 
reform through investments in our people and our communities. 
We increased our minimum wage to $15/hour, announced a 
special bonus program, and increased our commitment to training 
and development at AMEBU – America’s Most Exciting Bank 
University. We also made an additional $2 million contribution to 
our charitable foundation. 

Adding Teams in New Markets
We had a successful year recruiting talent in new markets and 
business lines. While integrating our new operations based in the 
Mid-Atlantic, we recruited strong commercial banking leadership 
in that market to pursue expanded opportunities. 

SELECT FINANCIAL 
INFORMATION
Balance Sheet 
($ millions - period end)

 FY17

FY16

Total Assets

$11,571 $9,163

Total Securities

1,899

1,628

Total Loans

8,299

6,550

Goodwill and Intangibles

558

423

Deposits

Borrowings

8,750

6,622

1,137

1,314

Shareholders’ Equity

1,496

1,093

Operating Results 
($ millions)

 FY17

FY16

Net Interest Income

$295

$232

Non-Interest Income

Total Net Revenue

Provision for Loan Losses

Non-Interest Expense

Net Income

Per Share Data  
($)

125

420

21

300

55

66

298

17

203

59

 FY17

FY16

Earnings, Diluted

$1.39

$1.88

Earnings, Adjusted*

Dividends

Book Value

2.29

0.84

2.20

0.80

32.14

30.65

Tangible Book Value

19.83

18.81

* Note: Adjusted earnings per share is a non-GAAP financial 
measure; see Form 10-K for discussion and further detail.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.—BHLB   berkshirebank.com  2
2

On the mortgage side, our First Choice Loan Services , Inc. mortgage team delivered earnings on plan 
despite a downturn in mortgage banking industry revenues, demonstrating the talent and flexibility 
required for success in this business.

The Commerce acquisition brought us the leading deposit market share in Worcester, MA, New England’s 
second largest city. It also became the catalyst for the relocation of our corporate headquarters to Boston. 

This move gives us more market access in Greater Boston 
and facilitates access to our regional and national specialty 
lending markets. We added 16 new branches and a team that has 
enthusiastically combined with our staff. 

We recruited new leadership in commercial, retail and private 
banking to manage our Greater Boston market region, including 
Boston and Worcester. We also recruited a mortgage banking 
team in the region. We added international and government 
banking professionals, and we selectively added talent across 
our banking and wealth management business lines in several of 
our markets.

Each of our teams executed well in 2017, resulting in solid 
organic growth. We ranked 17th nationally by loan count in the 
annual rankings of SBA 7(a) loan production, and our mortgage 
bankers continue to be in the top 50 among banks nationally. 

Revolutionary Banking
We’re reshaping our banking model, focusing on well-placed 
branch locations, reducing branch overhead, increasing our 
MyTellerSM capabilities and deploying MyBankersTM who can 
implement our financial solutions to support active customer 
relationships. Our regional leadership model delivers the 
right decision making and support within our markets while 
accessing the products and capabilities available to us due 

Top left: MyBanker with Spokesperson and Hockey Legend,  
Ray Bourque 
Top Right: Virtual MyTellerSM Machine at Flagship Boston Branch 
Middle: Community Partner of Boston Seasons at City Hall Plaza  
Bottom: New Corporate Headquarters in Boston Financial District 

BANKING 

SPECIALTY LENDING 

WEALTH
MANAGEMENT 

INSURANCE 

PHILANTHROPY

STRONGER TOGETHER

HOME LENDING

FOUNDATION

A Berkshire Bank Company

INVESTMENT SERVICES

3 2017 Summary Annual Report

 
 
 
 
to our scale. In 2017, we consolidated three branches in existing 
markets. In addition to adding the 16 Commerce offices, we opened 
the doors at new locations on Congress Street in Boston and in 
Farmington, CT, with attractive locations opening their doors in  
2018 in Simsbury, CT and Malta, NY.

A Culture of Engagement
Civic engagement starts with our people, with 100% involvement 
in community service. This included 92% participation in our 
annual Xtraordinary Day of Service, where we close the bank for an 
afternoon, encouraging all of our employees to give back to their 
local communities that day. Our team donated more than 40,000 
hours of service in 2017. Berkshire was nationally recognized for 
corporate citizenship by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and was 
a finalist for the HALO Award recognizing top U.S. companies for 
their social responsibility. We pride ourselves on supporting small 
business and we received SBA Top Lender and Top Veterans Lender 
awards in several of our regions. Our Foundation provided $2 million 
in charitable contributions in 2017, which support was replenished by 
the Company as part of its reinvestment of tax reform benefits.

DRIVING  
PROFITABILITY

Return on Assets

74

68

56

93

2015

2016

2017

2017 
*Adjusted

Basis Points

* Note: Adjusted ROA is a non-GAAP financial 
measure; see form 10-K for further discussion 
and details

For Our Shareholders
Berkshire’s book value per share gained 5% during the year, and we also increased our quarterly cash 
dividend by 5%. The Company’s year-end market capitalization increased 26% to $1.7 billion, and our 
average trading volume increased 75% year-over-year, largely due to stock issuances. Total shareholder 
return was in the 68th percentile compared to national regional bank peers. 

A Vision of Performance
Our industry lost a great banking leader in recent months with the passing of Robert “Bob” Wilmers, who 
served for decades at the helm of M&T Bank in Buffalo. Under his leadership, M&T became a large and well-
respected regional bank with strong performance and solid corporate values that translated into market 
stature. His plainspoken and outspoken annual letter to shareholders each year was widely anticipated in 
the industry. Bob had a second home in the Berkshires. He was a friend and mentor to me, and a longtime 
personal supporter of community initiatives in our traditional home territory.

Bob will be missed, but he has been a model to us all of what a difference a well-run banking company can 
be in the lives and prosperity of its communities. We believe in that vision. We also encourage the sensible 
regulatory environment that Bob always advocated. We see opportunity in front of us. Our focus is on 
building a better future in our markets as symbolized by the cityscapes on the cover of this report. Our team 
is talented, motivated and in position to deliver in the months and years ahead.

I’d like to thank you for your interest in our Company and hope you’ll be part of the excitement and 
performance that we see ahead for our enterprise.

Sincerely,

Michael P. Daly 
Chief Executive Officer

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.—BHLB   berkshirebank.com 

4

$11.6 
Billion
in Assets
 » Retail banking, commercial 
banking, insurance and  
wealth management

as of 12 / 31 / 17

Ticker 

Stock Price 

Market Cap 

P/E (FY17) 

Price/Book 

Price/Tangible Book 

52 Week Range 

Annualized Dividend (1Q18) 

Dividend Yield 

Shares Outstanding 

Average Daily Volume (FY17) 

NYSE: BHLB

$36.60

$1.7 billion

16.0x

1.14x

1.85x

$32.85–$40.00

$0.88

2.4%

45.3 million

210,000 shares

 » 113 branches located across  
New England, New York,  
New Jersey and Pennsylvania

 » Wealth assets under management 

of $1.5 billion

Staff Stats

2,042
Employees 

64%

Female 
Employees

Helping 
Hands

100%

employee 
volunteer  
rate

 » Strong earnings momentum  
and improving profitability

 » Boston-based regional bank 
delivering franchise value in 
attractive markets

75 

projects 
completed

40,000+ 
hours of service

 » Distinctive culture drives results

Sustainable Successes
since 2015

 » Disciplined regional consolidator 

 » Focused on profitability goals and 

building shareholder value

5 2017 Summary Annual Report

64% 
increase 

in eStatement 
usage

75%
of paper products 
from sustainable 
forests

18%  
reduction 
in paper usage
37 sustainability  
projects

Charitable
Contributions

$2M annually to
516 organizations  

FOUNDATION

Small Business
Top 100  
most active SBA 7(a)
lenders in the US

Ranked  
17th nationally 
in number of loans

Top SBA Lender  
for Veterans in MA & CT
#1 SBA Lender 
Western MA • Capital District NY 
Central NY • Vermont & 
Connecticut  

INVESTMENT  CONSIDERATIONSCORPORATE PROFILEA RESPONSIBLE & DIVERSE CULTURESTOCK INFORMATIONLEADERSHIP TEAM

Gary F. Urkevich, Mark N. Foster, George F. Bacigalupo, Tami M. Gunsch, Scott J. Houghtaling, Linda A. Johnston, Sean A. Gray, Michael P. Daly,  

Richard M. Marotta, James M. Moses, Deborah A. Stephenson, Allison P. O’Rourke, Gregory D. Lindenmuth, Michael D. Carroll

Michael P. Daly 
Chief Executive Officer

Richard M. Marotta 
President 

Sean A. Gray 
Chief Operating Officer

James M. Moses 
SEVP, Chief Financial Officer

George F. Bacigalupo 
SEVP, Commercial Banking 

Linda A. Johnston 
SEVP, Human Resources

Michael D. Carroll 
EVP, Commercial Banking  
and Specialty Lending 

Mark N. Foster 
EVP, Regional Commercial Leader - 
Eastern Massachusetts and ABL

Tami M. Gunsch  
EVP & Director of  
Relationship Banking

Scott J. Houghtaling 
EVP, Regional Commercial Leader - 
New York

Gregory D. Lindenmuth 
EVP, Chief Risk Officer

Allison P. O’Rourke 
EVP, Finance

Deborah A. Stephenson 
EVP, Compliance and Regulatory

Gary F. Urkevich 
EVP, IT and Project Management

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

William J. Ryan 
Chairman of the Board,  
Former Chairman & CEO  
of TD Banknorth

Paul T. Bossidy 
President & CEO of  
Patripabre Capital LLC

David M. Brunelle 
Co-Founder and Managing Director 
of North Pointe Wealth Management

Robert M. Curley 
Berkshire Bank New York Chairman,  
Former Chairman & President for 
Citizens Bank in New York

Michael P. Daly 
Chief Executive Officer  
of Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.

John B. Davies 
Former Executive Vice President  
of Massachusetts Mutual Life  
Insurance Company

J. Williar Dunlaevy 
Former Chairman & CEO  
of Legacy Bancorp, Inc.  
& Legacy Banks

Cornelius D. Mahoney 
Former Chairman, President & CEO 
of Woronoco Bancorp, Inc. & 
Woronoco Savings Bank

Pamela A. Massad, Esq. 
Of Counsel with Fletcher Tilton PC

Laurie Norton Moffatt 
Director & CEO of the  
Norman Rockwell Museum

Richard J. Murphy 
Executive Vice President &  
Chief Operating Officer of the  
Tri-City ValleyCats

Patrick J. Sheehan 
Owner & Manager of  
Sheehan Health Group

D. Jeffrey Templeton 
Owner & President of  
The Mosher Company, Inc.

Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.—BHLB   berkshirebank.com 

6

Corporate Offices
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
60 State Street
Boston, MA 02109
800-773-5601
berkshirebank.com

Stock Listing
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc. is listed  
on the New York Stock Exchange  
under the symbol “BHLB”.

Investor Information
Investor Relations
Attn: Erin Duggan
Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc.
800-773-5601
investorrelations@berkshirebank.com

Transfer Agent and Registrar
Shareholders who wish to change 
the name, address, or ownership of 
stock, report lost stock certificates, 
inquire about the Dividend 
Reinvestment Plan or consolidate 
stock accounts should contact:
Broadridge Corporate Issuer 
Solutions, Inc.
P.O. Box 1342
Brentwood, NY 11717
844-458-9357
shareholder@broadridge.com
shareholder.broadridge.com/bhlb

2018 Annual Meeting 
of Shareholders
Thursday, May 17, 2018 | 10 a.m. ET
Berkshire Plaza Hotel
One West Street
Pittsfield, MA 01201

This document contains forward-looking statements (within the meaning of 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 recently filed reports on Forms 
10-K and 10-Q, which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Berkshire does not undertake any obligation to 
update forward-looking statements. 

Banking products are provided by Berkshire Bank: Member FDIC; Equal Housing Lender. Berkshire Bank is a Massachusetts 
chartered  bank.  Insurance  and  investment  products  as  well  as  investment  securities  and  obligations  of  Berkshire  Hills 
Bancorp, Inc. are not FDIC-insured, are not a bank deposit, “NOT guaranteed BY THE BANK,” “NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL 
GOVERNMENT AGENCY” and may lose value.

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