Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Economic Development is receiving a $249,000 grant for its 2024 fiscal year to assist small businesses throughout the state export goods and services. The grant is part of the Small Business Administration’s State Trade Expansion Program, which supports small businesses to compete globally by offsetting costs incurred by export related activities, including participating in foreign trade missions, designing international marketing campaigns, participating in export trade show exhibits, attending training workshops and other important means of engagement.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott, Senator Bernie Sanders, Senator Peter Welch and Congresswoman Becca Balint, together with the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), announced August 25 that 13 Vermont communities will be receiving a combined $10.8 million from NBRC’s Catalyst Program. On Friday they will celebrate with Chris Saunders of the NBRC and Johnson Selectboard Chair Beth Foy, the award to the town of Johnson of more than $861,000 to create a new light industrial/commercial park on Route 15. The celebration will take place at 11:30 at the Dibden Center for the Arts, Vermont State University-Johnson.

Vermont Business Magazine FEMA's Johnson Disaster Recovery Center will close permanently at 6 p.m., Friday, September 8, 2023. The center is currently open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at this location: Northern VT University -- McClelland Hall, 131 College Hill Road, Johnson, VT.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) today announced the third round of Community Recovery and Revitalization (CRRP) grant winners. These grants will help transform communities by adding jobs, childcare and affordable housing, improving infrastructure, and helping spur the creative economy. Thirty-one projects in 12 counties were reviewed by an interagency committee and approved for round three funding, resulting in a proposed award amount of $11,400,902, which is expected to support $164,452,219 in total project costs. The 31 approved projects are expected to support 1,108 existing jobs, enable the creation of 160 new jobs, build or rehabilitate 315 affordable housing units, and add 71 new childcare slots for low- to moderate-income families.

Vermont Business Magazine Vertek Corporation, a leading provider of end-to-end Managed Security (MSSP) and Telecom Operations Services in Colchester, and Site Tech Services, an IT Managed Services Provider (MSP), have forged a strategic full-service best-in-class IT and cybersecurity services partnership. The partnership has seen particular success in the multi-site auto dealership space, with highly secure and scalable digital infrastructure that meets both the expectations of an increasingly online customer base and future dealer expansions. The partnership marries Vertek's cybersecurity expertise with Site Tech Services' managed IT and cloud services to offer a comprehensive suite that allows customers to optimize their operations and streamline customer interactions while fortifying their cyber defenses against evolving threats. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department says hunters are looking forward to Vermont’s upcoming October 1- November 10 and November 27 to December 15 archery deer hunting season. A hunter may take up to four deer in Vermont’s two-part archery season if they do not shoot any deer in the other deer seasons.  The purchase of an archery deer license and tag is required for each deer.  No more than one of the deer taken during archery season may be a legal buck if no buck is taken in the other deer seasons.  Antlerless deer hunting is allowed during archery season statewide this year.  

Vermont Business Magazine The first round of Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) applications for fiscal year (FY) 2024 is now open.  The Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) is releasing two requests for applications that allow Vermont working lands service provider organizations and producer associations to invest in projects focused on governance and leadership and building workforce development and executive business skills. The application portal is open now through October 16th, 2023. Producer Association Grants: Award amounts $10,000 - $25,000; Service Provider Grants: Award amounts $10,000 - $25,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Agency Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) Secretary Lindsay Kurrle today announced Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development Commissioner (DCHD) Josh Hanford is leaving state government at the end of September. Hanford begins a new position in October with the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. Upon Hanford’s departure, DHCD Deputy Commissioner Alex Farrell will serve as Interim Commissioner.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB), announces its 2023 grant awards to working lands entrepreneurs, totaling $897,607.09 to support businesses improvements and improve water quality. This year, 22 farmers were awarded $755,041.50 to invest in on-farm capital improvements that enhance water quality. Additionally, 16 farm and forest businesses were awarded $142,559.59 to complete projects that support business development and viability.

Vermont Business Magazine Two months after welcoming residents to the newly constructed Bellows Falls Garage Apartments, the project partners are celebrating another achievement – the completed installation of a 30kW solar photovoltaic array on the rooftop of the building. Developed by Windham & Windsor Housing Trust in collaboration with General Contractor DEW Construction, the new Bellows Falls Garage was designed for optimum energy efficiency, and exceeds the Efficiency Vermont High Performance Building standard.

Vermont Council on Rural Development Barre community members, organizations, and partners are invited to come together to participate in an open, inclusive dialogue to build understanding around flooding experiences and recovery and resilience efforts and begin to create ideas for action for the immediate and long-term future of the city. The evening, facilitated by VCRD, will start with a FREE pizza dinner in the Opera House lobby at 5:30pm, followed by a full community discussion at 6pm, and breakout forums at 7pm and 8pm. The forum topic areas include Housing, Long-Term Recovery and Resilience, Helping Efforts, Individual and Youth Wellness, Recovery Resources, and Natural Resources and Climate. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Community Broadband Board (VCBB) has joined a coalition of almost 300 broadband experts, internet service providers (ISPs), community leaders, nonprofits, consumer advocates, and business groups that have joined forces to highlight concerns about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) program. In a letter today to NTIA head Alan Davidson and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, the group warns that the program’s letter of credit requirement could block the vast majority of smaller operators, community-centered ISPs, and publicly owned networks, such as Vermont’s Communications Union Districts (CUDs), from securing grants.