Current News

VermontBiz and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce announced the winner of the prestigious and highly anticipated Outstanding Business of the Year Award, 2022 at the Vermont Chamber’s Vermont Economic Conference on Monday, January 30th. This year’s winner is Hickok & Boardman Insurance Group. In 1821, William A. Griswold and Timothy L. Follett established Griswold & Follett Insurance Agency, the first Vermont division of the Aetna Insurance Company. Their small insurance agency has since endured, prospered, and become what we know today as Hickok & Boardman Insurance Group. Celebrating their bicentennial in 2021, Hickok & Boardman is the leading broker for property and casualty insurance in the state of Vermont for both personal and commercial clients. Hickok & Boardman’s mission and values are the impetus through which the company has been able to operate for two centuries and display excellence in growth, prosperity, and serving its employees and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine The companies of National Life Group are expanding their suite of living benefits, adding Alzheimer’s Disease and a new fertility journey rider, that began on January 28. These expansions have the potential to support many, as more than 6.5 million Americans are estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s dementia, and the average cost of one in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle is more than $12,000. Living Benefits are supplemental benefits that can be added to life insurance and are not suitable unless you also have a need for life insurance. Life insurance with living benefits could provide protection if you experience a qualifying terminal, chronic, critical illness, critical injury or a diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease or Lewy Body Dementia.

Vermont Business Magazine National Unclaimed Property Day is this Wednesday, February 1, Treasurer Mike Pieciak and the State of Vermont is partnering again with the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) to remind Vermonters to search for and claim their missing money. The Treasurer’s Office currently holds $119 million of unclaimed property. In 2022, the Office paid out over 15,000 claims totaling over $5.3 million that went back into the pockets of Vermonters.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Farzana Leyva, of Westfield, as Orleans County state’s attorney. Farzana has served as acting state’s attorney since Governor Scott appointed former state’s attorney Jennifer Barrett to the superior court. Leyva has worked in the Orleans County state’s attorney’s office since 2018, first as a law clerk and then as a deputy state’s attorney. Leyva graduated from Howard College School of Law, South Africa in 2005. She was admitted as an attorney to the South African Bar in 2007. In 2018, she passed the New York Bar Exam and in 2019 was admitted to the Vermont Bar. Leyva is a resident of Westfield and has lived in Orleans County since 2014.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) announced today that it received $1.44 million in federal funds to rehabilitate the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail (MVRT) through earmarks secured by Senator Bernie Sanders. The $1.8 million project will improve one of Vermont’s critical rail trails and create economic development opportunities along the corridor. The fully rehabilitated trail will connect to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail and Canada’s trail network, creating one of the largest regional trail networks in the northeastern United States. The MVRT is one of Vermont’s longest trails and spans 26.1 miles from St. Albans City to Richford.

Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are up one cent in the last week to $3.53 per gallon, as prices here have flattened out somewhat at the moment. Prices are up 19 cents in the last month and are 14 cents higher than a year ago. The national average price of gasoline has risen 9.7 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.49/g today. The national average is up 33.3 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 14.1 cents per gallon higher than a year ago.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets The Vermont Farm Bureau is hosting a Winter Workshop Series featuring three great topics. These workshops are free in-person opportunities in February, March, and April. The full schedule is below!

The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual membership meeting with over 120 members in attendance at the Park McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion Carriage Barn on Friday, January 27th 2023. Per the bylaws of the 501c6 nonprofit organization, the board of directors must gather the membership annually to discuss the business of the organization. Over the years the annual membership meeting has grown more into a social gathering with the Chamber promoting it as “The Biggest Business Night of the Year.” The meeting also included live music, food and bar, a complimentary sparkling beverage for all attending and the illustrious Chamber Awards.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE) program is a federally funded, short-term pandemic recovery initiative created to help restaurants, farmers, and eaters through the acute economic challenges of the COVID pandemic. The program, which began on August 1, 2020, will end on March 31, 2023. VEE Hubs have distributed approximately 3.5 million meals throughout all 14 counties, generating more than $34M in revenue for participating restaurants.

Vermont Business Magazine The World Wide Data Vault Consortium 2023, hosted annually by Data Vault Alliance at the Stoweflake Resort in Stowe, Vermont, USA, will open this year with a new Bonus Business Track on Monday, May 1st. A spokesperson for DVA explained this addition to the regular schedule, noting, "The Premium Business Monday Track of this year's WWDVC is a new venture for us in response to the current needs of our attendees. This program, separate from the rest of the conference, is all about how to talk Data Vault to the business side of your organization, in language they understand, and in a way that highlights how Data Vault is the optimal data warehousing solution for today's ever-changing world."

Leonine Public Affairs Policy committees in the House worked diligently this week to finalize their spending recommendations for the FY2023 Budget Adjustment Act (BAA). Each committee sent a letter to the House Appropriations committee outlining their BAA priorities. Many of these recommendations are in response to Governor Phil Scott’s proposals. Some are new proposals offered by policy committees in the House.