Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas held the first meeting of the newly reconstituted Town Clerk Advisory Committee (TCAC) at the Hartford Municipal Building in White River last Tuesday. Reconvening the committee, which has not actively met for over a decade, was a priority for the secretary as she settles into her first term in office. The committee make-up aims to be representative of clerks across the state. The 13 clerks that sit on the committee hail from both big and small municipalities and include both veteran clerks and those new to the office.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Farm to school and early childhood is a broad term. It defines a variety of efforts aimed at educating and engaging children and young adults on the connections that exist between agriculture, nutrition, community and health. The Vision Grant is designed to support innovative projects that engage youth in exploring those connections and addressing contemporary problems such as climate change, food insecurity, food sovereignty, health disparities, and racial injustice. A total of $150,000 is available through this competitive funding opportunity. The minimum award is $5,000 and the maximum award is $50,000. Schools, school districts, early childhood educators, afterschool programs, and non-profits working in partnership within the Vermont Farm to School and Early Childhood Network are eligible to apply.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee (HELP), chaired by Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), released the following report by its majority staff: "Over the past 18 months, Starbucks has waged an aggressive and illegal union-busting campaign. That campaign has been directed and led by Howard Schultz, the multi-billionaire CEO and founder of Starbucks. Under Schultz’s leadership, Starbucks has adopted an aggressively anti-union stance that is reflected in Schultz’s public statements, the company’s communications to workers, and its scorched-earth approach to blocking unionization activity."

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine If you’re in state government and your agency or program is running well, State Auditor Douglas R Hoffer’s work is an affirmation that you’re doing a good job. If your agency or program isn’t running well, he’s the last person you want to see. And if you’re a taxpayer — and aren’t we all? — you can thank your lucky stars for Hoffer and his staff because all of us want our hard-earned tax dollars to be spent wisely and well. The mission of the auditor’s office “is to hold state government accountable by evaluating whether taxpayer funds are being used effectively and identifying strategies to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse.”

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine The Holstein is the perfect cow, says the Holstein Association USA, Inc the nonprofit membership organization that has anchored the south end of Main Street in Brattleboro since 1903. There are Holstein Associations in other countries throughout the world. Holstein Association USA is a member of the World Holstein Friesian Federation. However, the U.S. is generally recognized by other countries as having sought-after Holstein genetics. The association, which has been in Brattleboro for 137 years, is dedicated to managing the genetics and improving the profitability of the Holstein cow. They like to say they're “The Ancestry.com for Holsteins.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Richards Group was recently named one of Vermont's Best Places to Work for an 8th consecutive year. This award was created by Vermont Business Magazine, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont Department of Economic Development, the Vermont Department of Labor, and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) – Vermont State Council and Best Companies Group. This statewide survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best places of employment in Vermont, benefiting the state's economy, workforce, and businesses.

Leonine Public Affairs The House and Senate worked feverishly this week to meet Friday’s crossover deadline for money bills. Long floor sessions, committees scrambling to vote on bills and the narrowing of legislation slated to pass in 2023 gave week 11 a hint of the high octane home stretch of the legislative session. Spring-like weather and longer days added to the late session feel and Democratic priorities picked up steam as high profile legislation such as paid family and medical leave and a gun violence prevention bill hit the floor. The week started with speculation as to whether Governor Phil Scott would sign H.145, the FY2023 Budget Adjustment Act. By Monday evening the governor’s office announced he had allowed H.145 to become law without his signature. Governor Scott had concerns about the spending levels in the bill, which exceeded his budget adjustment proposal, but he ultimately decided to let the bill become law.

Vermont Business Magazine State Treasurer Mike Pieciak visited United Way of Northwest Vermont’s main offices on Friday to deliver an unclaimed property check to CEO Jesse Bridges. The check was in the amount of $1,133.54. “I am glad to be able to take time today to reunite United Way of Northwest Vermont with these funds and to learn more about their impactful work while I am here. I would like to remind Vermonters to search our claims database for their missing money as the Treasurer’s Office is currently holding over $119 million of unclaimed property,” said Treasurer Pieciak.

Vermont Business Magazine Scott promotes setting $150M aside for federal infrastructure match; Tax revenues sail past targets again; Scott renews hope in billion-dollar underwater powerline; UVM Cancer Center to offer innovative new cancer treatment; Vermont gets over $11.3 million for clean water infrastructure upgrades; VHCB awards funding to create 202 new homes in 5 towns; Sterritt to step down as Saint Michael’s College president in June; Vermont awarded $23M grant to support children, families, early childhood system; Vermont gets nearly $19M to address emerging contaminants like PFAS in drinking water; BED, union balk at proposal to remove McNeil plant as renewable energy source.

Vermont Business Magazine Venture 7 Advisors, a Burlington-based merger and acquisition advisory firm, announced the recent sale of produce and food distributor Carlo Masi Sons and Daughter of Utica, NY, to private investor Samuel DiSalvo. Venture 7 served as the exclusive advisor to the Masi family in the transaction. The details of the transaction were not disclosed. The Company was founded in 1958 by Carlo and Elizabeth Masi, selling produce out of their garage to local stores and foodservice customers. In 1960 they were first company in Central NY to invest in refrigerated trucks. Until the recent sale, the business was owned by four of Carlo and Elizabeth’s seven children. They sell a complete line of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with dairy, meats and paper products.

Vermont Business Magazine SilverLake Wealth Management, a locally owned and independent financial advisory firm, has announced their new year-long commitment to the community through their “Share the Wealth” campaign. SilverLake Wealth Management also announced the results of their first charitable drive that benefitted COTS Burlington.