Current News

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine Given all the givens accompanying the COVID-19 pandemic, Windsor County’s economy is doing OK. And OK is pretty good, given all the givens. It’s just still feeling a little unstable. Many of the challenges facing businesses in Windsor County, like staffing shortages and a lack of affordable housing, are true statewide, said Bob Flint from the Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC). Local businesses and the local economy have limited sway over these external pressures.

by Timothy McQuiston VermontBiz has asked several financial leaders to offer their expertise on what they see as Vermont’s near future regarding the economy, finance, interest rates and inflation. This piece was first published in Vermont Business Magazine, shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine (February 24) and before the Federal Reserve Bank raised interest rates on March 16 by 25 basis points (one quarter point or 0.25%). Some economists had believed this first rate hike in three years (December 2018) could have been as much as 50 basis points. However, the Fed indicated this would be just the start of a series of rate hikes this year intended to slow inflation. Observers are suggesting there will be seven increases.

by Amanda Kuhnert Hop on the Republic of Vermont website for a glimpse at what Ethan West, co-owner of the Goshen-based maple syrup and honey farm with his wife, Annina, calls “New Vermont.” Instead of red barns and rolling hills, you’ll find clean, bold typography; little text; and large, eye-catching images. “We wanted to plant our flag in the modern Vermont — moving the brand forward,” Ethan said. “That’s been really successful for us.”

Public Assets Institute, Montpelier After record job losses in 2020 due to the pandemic, Vermont enjoyed record gains in 2021. The state added 13,500 jobs from December 2020 through December 2021, the most of any year since data became available in 1990. Hotels, restaurants, and reopening art venues led the 2021 growth, adding 60 percent, or 8,000, of the jobs. But despite the gains, Vermont ended 2021 with 18,000 fewer jobs than it had at the start of 2020. In two weeks, more data will show how the job market is faring as the pandemic enters its third year, cases decline, and the economy continues to adjust.

Vermont Business Magazine Lake Champlain Maritime Museum announced today that they will remain free for all visitors for the 2022 season. The museum will be open from May 21–Oct. 16 with outside and indoor exhibits, summer camps and expeditions, historic replica boats, new public programs, and more. The 2022 season at the museum is focused on continuing to bring communities, neighbors, and youth together. As the region continues to recover from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is a common human need to gather, celebrate, and learn from culture, history, and the natural environment. Recognizing that there are common barriers to access for many people to visit museums or take advantage of these kinds of educational experiences, the museum is committed to removing these obstacles for all visitors.

Innovative program providing restaurant meals to local eaters continues

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE), the unique COVID-19 recovery program that provides Vermonters impacted by COVID with prepared meals made by Vermont restaurants using locally grown and produced ingredients, will continue through July 1, 2022. The program had previously been set to end on March 31st but will now continue due to FEMA’s 100% cost share being extended for existing COVID-19 relief programs.

Leonine Public Affairs The House Appropriations Committee worked long hours throughout the week to try and finalize their version of the FY2023 budget bill. Their work on the budget was slowed by an unusually long queue of spending-laden policy bills that required budget approval. While it is normal for a handful of policy bills to include appropriations – often related to economic development, healthcare or other big-ticket items – the number of non-budget bills that include appropriations is definitely elevated this year. This is in part due to the surplus of funding available as a result of a strong General Fund and hundreds of millions in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.

Vermont Business Magazine As spring temperatures arrive, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is inviting Vermonters to report when lakes and ponds lose their ice cover, known as the “ice-out date.” The spring date when a lake becomes completely ice free from shore to shore lets DEC staff scientists know the best time to begin their seasonal water quality sampling efforts.

Vermont Business Magazine After many years of delay, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rolled out Entry Level Driver Training Regulations on February 7, 2022. While not retroactive, these regulations require that any new, entry-level commercial drivers complete an FMCSA-approved driver training program, ending the ability of drivers to learn more informally through colleagues, relatives, or unapproved training programs. While the benefits to public safety are clear, this change has the potential to increase logistical challenges resulting from a shortage of CDL drivers in Vermont and nationwide.

Vermont Business Magazine Woodchuck Hard Cider, the brand that started the American cider revolution in 1991, is pleased to announce the arrival of its Brunch Box. The Brunch Box variety pack features four innovative ciders: existing core Woodchuck styles Pearsecco, Mimosa, along with the addition of two new innovations, Paloma and Bellini. All ciders are 12oz cans, 3 cans of each style per 12-pack, 5.5% alc.vol., apart from Pearsecco, a bubbly dry cider, at 6.1% alc./vol. The Brunch Box will be available year-round, with a a PTC range of $17.99 – 18.99.

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announced today the appointment of Christopher J Dougherty as the organization’s new president and chief executive officer, effective May 9, 2022. He succeeds outgoing CEO Steven R Gordon, who will retire in April, and who has been at the forefront of BMH’s innovative progress, financial strength, and hospital expansion since 2011. Dougherty comes to BMH from Shriners for Children Medical Center in Pasadena, CA, where he has served as Administrator since 2018.

The Vermont State Police has collected more than 100 body-armor vests donated by law-enforcement agencies and members of the public since announcing the initiative last week. More vests are expected to arrive before the donation deadline of next Wednesday, March 23. The used and expired vests rated level III or higher still offer protection from gunfire. The Vermont State Police will coordinate sending the donated body armor to military units in Ukraine.