Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. relocated its headquarters from Ware to Worcester in September, a move the company says positions it to rapidly expand while gaining access to a broader workforce, stronger transportation connections, and a growing business environment.
Scott Maddalene, CEO and president of Berkshire Blanket
The relocation comes as Worcester increasingly works to attract companies looking beyond Greater Boston for room to grow.
Berkshire leaders said the city’s location, infrastructure, and talent pool made it a natural fit for the company’s next phase.
“Worcester’s upwards trajectory and positive environment” helped solidify the decision, said Scott Maddalene, Berkshire’s CEO and president.
The company’s growth comes during steady expansion in the home goods industry.
Driven by demand for sustainable and innovative products, the global market for home goods is expected to hit $2 trillion by 2028, averaging about 5% growth each year, according to industry data provider Allied Market Research.
Business expansion
Although the company manufactures its products globally, particularly in China, Berkshire Blanket designs its products at its Worcester headquarters.
Founded in 1993 in Ware, Berkshire has evolved from a regional blanket manufacturer into a global home goods company.
The business rebranded from Berkshire Blanket to Berkshire Blanket & Home Co. to reflect its broader product offerings.
The company has tripled in size over the past five years and is aiming to double again over the next five years through diversification, international expansion, and a continued focus on quality, said Maddalene.
Berkshire is expanding its reach in markets including Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
Worcester offers advantages that support those ambitions, he said. Compared to Ware, the city provides access to a larger regional talent pool, allowing Berkshire to recruit employees from Worcester and surrounding communities as it grows.
“There’s a breadth of talent in Worcester,” said Timothy Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. “A lot of access to transportation, ability to draw from talent, and a diverse workforce sets Worcester apart.”
As the second-largest city in New England, Worcester has colleges, universities, transportation access, and a growing housing market to help businesses attract employers, Murray said.
Berkshire is making a deliberate effort to hire locally while accommodating employees and collaborators traveling from all around the world.
Worcester’s access to highways, airports, and hospitality infrastructure has made collaboration with global manufacturing partners more efficient, said Maddalene.
Keeping New England roots amid globalization
Berkshire employs 88 people and produces more than 50 million units annually across its product categories.
While manufacturing takes place in North Carolina, China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and Africa, product design and development remain centered in New England.
“The company still has the feel of a small business,” said Maddalene. “We’ve made a conscious effort to keep our New England roots, even as we’ve grown and expanded across the world.”
Christina Carrozza, design director at Berkshire Blanket
That emphasis on company culture was echoed by Vice President of Product Development and Packaging Holly Rozzen and Design Director Christina Carrozza, who both described Berkshire as having a family feeling, aligned with Maddalene’s mission of providing comfort and warmth to as many people as possible.
Maddalene’s favorite part of leading Berkshire has been growing with the company and watching it happen.
The company’s family-oriented culture extends to its employees through flexible scheduling and accommodating individual needs, Rozzen said.
Holly Rozzen, VP of product development and packaging at Berkshire Blanket
Inside the Worcester headquarters, Berkshire’s designers and developers research international trends and conduct in-store analysis to better understand customer preferences.
Teams then collaborate on which products best align with consumer demand and company standards.
“Some designs can never make it to the store,” said Carrozza. “It’s decided that the customer might not want them.”
Once finalized in Worcester, product designs are sent to manufacturing partners in China, where Berkshire incorporates what Rozzen described as the company’s unique secret sauce through adjustments to yarn size, weight, and finishing.
“The small details are what makes Berkshire’s products different from another company’s,” Rozzen said.
Berkshire’s products are sold through retailers including Target and Meijer, and the company partners with brands such as Life is Good and Draper James.
As part of its Worcester expansion, Berkshire plans to deepen its involvement with local nonprofit organizations.
The company already partners with nonprofits like Abby’s House in Worcester, where the company donated blankets and robes.
Maddalene is proud of Berkshire’s longstanding partnership with The Water Project, a nonprofit focused on expanding access to clean water in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Donations supporting the organization come through sales of Berkshire’s EcoThread product line.
Greigh Cloward is a correspondent for Worcester Business Journal.
