CLINTON — As part of Berkshire Bank’s “BEST Community Comeback Tour,” Berkshire officials visited Hale Transportation recently to praise their tenacity and resilience despite COVID-19 challenges.

Hale Transportation, a charter bus service based in Clinton, has had to get creative for the last two years to keep their wheels turning.

The company started operating in 2006 and currently has a fleet of 35 vehicles, which includes mini-buses, motorcoaches, and shuttles that can transport anywhere from 23-56 passengers.

Hale has reported to employ more than 65 drivers and has a staff of 10 office workers and mechanics. Today, Hale Transportation is the only charter bus service left in the Central NY market.

During the pandemic, business slowed down substantially for the travel and tourism industry. This impacted Hale’s work with sports teams, Broadway traveling shows, colleges, wedding planners, summer camps, casino trips, and more.

“Stephen Hale, President of Hale Transportation, demonstrated innovation and nimbleness during challenging business times,” Berkshire stated in a press release. Pivoting in order to succeed, Hale began turning the buses into mobile billboards, taking bus seats out and inserting tables to make mobile COVID-19 testing and vaccine units for the county, and driving local college students who were positive or in quarantine to testing.

Businesses like transportation are still facing the lingering impact of COVID-19, which has affected supplies and parts. In addition, soaring gas prices are hitting travel hard. Despite all this, Hale has reported expanding operations and acquiring other companies.

“For more than 175 years, Berkshire Bank has made it a priority to be the leading socially responsible community bank. We believe empowering the success of those who we serve drives our own success and by unleashing the potential of community partners and businesses like Hale Transportation, to be a catalyst for positive change in our communities,” stated Nitin Mhatre, CEO, Berkshire Bank.

Launched late last year, Berkshire’s BEST Community Comeback targets multibillion-dollar lending and investing opportunities to help transform local communities in four key areas: fueling small businesses; community financing and philanthropy; financial access and empowerment; environmental sustainability.

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