Current News

by John McClaughry The Climate Change Warriors are ramping up for a full scale effort in Montpelier two months from now. Not content with the decade long carnival of subsidies, taxes, mandates and sweetheart deals to enrich the renewable energy complex, they’re now going for the brass ring – making you pay the Carbon Tax. The carbon tax campaign flies the flag of “Energy Independent Vermont”, a coalition of nine environmental lobby groups led by the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG).

Vermont Business Magazine As part of its "Bring Change" campaign, the TD Bank on Main Street hosted a community coin counting event that raised $2,329.84 for the Montpelier Food Pantry. Customers, neighbors and others all came to donate their spare change, which TD matched up to $2,000 in coins counted. When community member Paul brought in his saved coins amounting to $42.57, he commented, "When folks are in need the community rallies together. I've had this coin sitting around for some time and when I read in the paper that TD was doing this for the Montpelier Food Pantry it didn't take me long to figure out this is the place to bring my change to help out my community."

Vermont Business Magazine Women in Chittenden County searching for a new adventure need look no further. Burlington Adventure Boot Camp for Women announces ISMA Certified Personal Trainer Travis Gervais as the new owner/trainer. Gervais, an Essex Junction resident and St Albans native, holds seven different fitness certifications including AAAI, HKC, and Adventure Boot Camp, as well as completed seven marathons, four 50K runs, three 50 mile runs and most recently, the TARC 100 mile run in Massachusetts.

“I have a passion for fitness and enjoying bringing that passion to my clients,” said Gervais. “Working hard and having fun is at the core of all of my workouts and training sessions.”

Vermont Business Magazine Applications are now being accepted for the 2016 Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence. The annual awards honor the actions taken by Vermonters to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution and promote sustainability. Applications must be received electronically, no later than Monday, February 1, 2016.

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermont's peregrines make their way to somewhat warmer and more food-filled places for the winter, we reflect on the 2015 breeding season, where Vermont's population reached a new all-time record high of 49 breeding pairs and produced a new record of 67 fledglings.

Vermont Business Magazine City Market, a Member-owned cooperative, has declared their annual Patronage Refund to Members, one of the tangible benefits of Co-op Membership. Member purchases totaled almost 68% of Co-op sales in fiscal year 2015, and the City Market Board of Directors has voted to return over $926,000 in cash to Members as this year’s Patronage Refund. On November 6, the Co-op mailed checks to 11,280 Members, with an average check of $82. Almost four cents of every dollar eligible Members spent is being refunded.

Vermont Business Magazine A national rating firm has released growth and investment results for counties across the United States. Chittenden County's GDP growth was highest in Vermont at just under 1 percent. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County ranked higest with 100 percent (doubled its GDP). In a new list of places experiencing the most growth in their local economy released by New York financial technology company SmartAsset, counties were measured by change in the local GDP over a four-year period. Business growth nationally was 0.4 percent.

Top 10 Vermont Counties GDP Growth

Vermont Business Magazine Installed Building Products, Inc (NYSE: IBP), an industry-leading installer of insulation and complementary building products, has announced the acquisition of the Overhead Door Company of Burlington, Inc operating as the Overhead Door Company of Burlington and the Overhead Door Company of Concord. OHD is a well-established 54 year old company with locations in Burlington, VT and Concord, NH. OHD’s focus is installing and servicing garage doors, as well as providing fulfillment services for windows, interior and exterior doors, and molding. The company services commercial and residential customers with approximately 70% of sales from new construction.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) issued this statement on Tuesday for Veterans Day: "It is fitting that on the eve of Veterans Day, the Senate passed an annual VA funding bill that takes further steps toward fulfilling our commitment to those who have served and sacrificed for this nation, for each of us. There is much that is good in this bill. These budget gains are not enough, but they are an improvement, and they will make a difference. Budgets are a reflection of our priorities. Honoring our commitments to America’s veterans must always be a top priority – every year, and always. On Veterans Day, and on every other day, let us always pause to remember. Let us strive to honor and thank these brave men and women and their families for their sacrifices. And let us fulfill our own sacred obligation to care for them when they have returned home to us."

Vermont Business Magazine KeyBank has announced that it has earned the 2016 Military Friendly® Employer and Military Spouse Friendly Employer® designation by Victory Media, publisher of G.I. Jobs® and Military Spouse. Companies competed for the elite Military Friendly® Employer title by completing a data-driven survey, with data independently tested by EY (Ernst & Young) based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media and its Advisory Board. Criteria for the survey included a benchmark score across key programs and policies, such as the strength of company military recruiting efforts, percentage of new hires with prior military service, retention programs for veterans, and company policies on National Guard and Reserve service.

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College announces that truED® has signed alliances with more than 60 leading government and industry organizations who share a deep commitment to learning as a means to remain competitive, improve employee retention and enhance recruitment. Through truED, employees of alliance organizations access Champlain College’s nationally ranked post-secondary online degrees and certificates tailored specifically to adult professionals at up to 70 percent less than the standard tuition rates through affordable monthly payments.

Vermont Business Magazine More than a month following the October 1 EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) liability shift for businesses, just 41 percent of small businesses have installed EMV chip-enabled payment terminals, according to new research from TD Bank. An additional 40 percent of small business owners (SBOs) say they plan to switch to the new technology soon, but indicated they have obstacles with or concerns about making the conversion. The remaining respondents said they either do not plan to install EMV (10 percent) or they are not aware of the new compliance rules regarding payment terminals (9 percent).