Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The state should dedicate its unprecedented budget surplus to reducing Vermont’s unfunded pension liability, according to the state’s largest union. In a memo to the Vermont Emergency Board, Vermont-NEA President Don Tinney made it clear that in a year with billions of federal pandemic aid flowing into Vermont, lawmakers and the governor should not miss the opportunity to use the state’s own surplus toward reducing its unfunded pension obligations.

Vermont Business Magazine The Kimball/Marshall Avenue that connects South Burlington and Williston at Technology Park will be closed starting on Monday August 2, 2021. Traffic will be detoured until at least November 1, 2021.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power will replace two heavy-duty fossil-fuel field operations trucks with two all-electric trucks manufactured by Lion Electric in 2022 – a fully outfitted bucket truck for line crews and a Class 6 stake-body truck for electrical maintenance field crews. The two trucks are expected to offset up to 100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, representing a big advancement in clean electric vehicle technology for heavy-duty work and are a major step toward GMP’s goal of electrifying its field operations fleet.

Vermont Business Magazine SunCommon, Vermont’s largest solar installer, and a Certified B Corp, has been named a Best for the World™ B Corp in recognition of their exemplary performance beyond commercial metrics. Ranking in the top 5% of all B Corps in their size group worldwide for their sustainable business practices, SunCommon was recognized for their efforts in the Environment category. This is the sixth time since its founding that the company has received this award.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Open Farm Week is coming back strong in 2021. This summer, Vermont Open Farm Week will be held Sunday, Aug. 8 through Sunday, Aug. 15, and features 90 events at over 45 farms across the state. For the seventh consecutive year, farmers across Vermont will open their barn doors and garden gates to welcome the public for a behind-the-scenes look at Vermont’s vibrant working landscapes. Event listings can be sorted by day and location on DigInVT.com.

​Vermont Business Magazine The US solar industry is on the upswing, thanks to a pro-renewables presidential administration and increased concern over climate change. Aegis Renewable Energy has had a front-row seat to this action, with business increasing over the last year. Solar Power World has recognized the company's installation success by ranking Aegis Renewable Energy at No. 206 on the 2021 Top Solar Contractors list. Aegis is ranked 74 among solar Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firms.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, AARP Vermont announced that six Vermont organizations will receive more than $54,000 in 2021 Community Challenge grants – part of the largest group of grantees to date with $3.2 million awarded among 244 organizations nationwide. Grantees will implement quick-action projects to promote livable communities by improving housing, transportation, public spaces and encourage civic engagement.

“We are incredibly proud to collaborate with these organizations as they work to make immediate improvements in their communities, encourage promising ideas and jumpstart long-term change, especially for those age 50 and over,” shared Greg Marchildon, AARP Vermont state director. “Our goal at AARP Vermont is to support the efforts of our communities to be great places for people of all backgrounds, ages and abilities.” There were some 67 applicants for the grants this year.

​​Vermont Business Magazine This month Goodwill Northern New England launched a $50,000 program to help move more Vermonters into personal stability. The Partner Stability Fund gives vouchers to nonprofits, who in turn gift them to their clients who need clothing and household items most. Joint Urban Ministry Project (JUMP) and Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) were selected to help push this goal forward.

Vermont Business Magazine Giving back to the communities it serves has long been central to New England Federal Credit Union’s (NEFCU) mission. As an ongoing part of this effort, four times each year, NEFCU selects four recipient organizations at random to receive $625 each, for a total of $10,000 annually.

Vermont Business Magazine Now with temperature control up to 70°C, BioTek’s Synergy Neo2 Hybrid Multi-Mode Reader and Synergy H1 Hybrid Multi-Mode Reader aid in more assay workflows than ever before. Application flexibility extends to enzyme kinetics, protein stability and aggregation, and projects incorporating loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays.

by Don George, President and CEO, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Vermont The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) last week released the results of an intensive examination of the financial impact of the pandemic on Vermont’s health insurance marketplace. [Anchor] The report verifies that for the majority of our insured members, the temporary reduction in medical care in 2020 was offset by emergency health coverage expansions for pharmaceuticals and telehealth, the continued prevailing costs of specialty and maintenance drugs, the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment, and the return of postponed medical care. Therefore, refunds are not necessary.