Current News

by Gabby Blanchard, Community News Service, Rutland On Tuesday evening, Treviso Vermont was filled with the smell of fresh cheeses and the roaring laughter of local businesswomen. Made possible by a Vermont Women’s Fund grant, the night marked the Downtown Rutland Partnership’s third and final Women in Business Mixer of the year. Showcasing one of Rutland’s newest women-owned businesses, Treviso Vermont, the “Stories to Inspire” event was accompanied by their authentic Italian cuisine that holds a modern twist.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of the 2025 Coolest Thing Made in Vermont Awards, recognizing the state’s most innovative manufacturers and the next generation of technical talent. The awards were presented during the annual Vermont Manufacturing Summit, the state’s premier gathering for manufacturers from across Vermont, New England, and Canada. BETA Technologies’ ALIA Aircraft and Hannaford Career Center’s Tiny House on Wheels were named the 2025 winners.

by Emily Bradbury Long before Beta Technologies put Vermont on the aerospace innovation map, Harbour Industries in Shelburne was already there – designing the cables that run through the world’s most advanced aircraft. For nearly six decades, Harbour Industries has manufactured high-performance cables for commercial and military aircraft. In fact, chances are very good that if you’ve ever settled into your seat on a Boeing or Airbus flight and plugged in your headphones to stream a movie, it came to you through cables that were made in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine AARP Vermont has awarded Winter Placemaking Grants to eight organizations across the state to support creative, inclusive programming that fosters community connection and combats social isolation among older adults during the coldest months of the year. The Winter Placemaking Grant program is part of AARP Vermont’s broader effort to support age-friendly communities and ensure that public spaces are accessible, engaging, and inclusive for people of all ages. Since 2020, AARP Vermont has awarded nearly $140,000 to 32 projects through the Winter Placemaking grant program for communities across the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Place Creative, a Vermont-based branding, design, and communications firm dedicated to supporting mission-driven organizations, has announced that it has officially earned two major distinctions: B Corporation Certification and recognition as a Certified Woman-Owned Business. Together, these credentials highlight the agency's long-standing commitment to sustainability, equity, and socially responsible leadership. B Corporation status, awarded by B Lab, is reserved for businesses that demonstrate exceptional performance in social and environmental practices, transparency, and accountability. More than 10,000 companies in over 100 countries and 160 different industries have received this global certification.

Vermont Business Magazine Rootstock Publishing announces the January 6, 2026, release of The Pacifist, a historical thriller about standing up to power gone bad, by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Lyn Bixby of Northern Vermont. It’s 1968, the deadliest year of the Vietnam war, and America is a combat zone where protesters are under attack as enemies of the nation. Lisa Thompson, a back-to-the-land hippie, is cutting firewood at her family’s Vermont farm when a stranger arrives to warn her the FBI is investigating her brother Chris, a Boston anti-war activist who was drafted. 

Vermont Business Magazine RunVermont has announced that the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon has been selected as the 2026 Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) Eastern Region Marathon Championship. The goal of the RRCA Championship Event Series is to celebrate and shine a spotlight on well-run, community-focused events and to award their top performing runners. This prestigious designation recognizes the M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon as one of the premier marathons in the Eastern United States. The M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon, scheduled for May 24, 2026, will welcome participants from across the country to compete on one of the nation's most scenic marathon courses. The fast, spectator-friendly route highlights Burlington's historic city streets, while showcasing the lake and mountain views that have made this event a favorite among runners for more than three decades.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont), Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, this week spoke on the Senate floor and urged the Trump Administration to release $4 billion in federal funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that has yet to be distributed this year. In his remarks, Senator Welch emphasized how LIHEAP funding helps more than 6 million lower-income households and seniors—including 26,000 Vermonters—heat their homes during the cold winter months.  

Vermont Business Magazine On Monday, November 17, 2025, the Burlington City Council voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the City Charter to permanently establish an Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (REIB). This clears the way for residents to vote for this Charter amendment on 2026 Town Meeting Day, March 3, 2026. Voters will be asked to approve whether the City of Burlington shall form a REIB Office and establish a REIB Director. The Director role shall be a senior leadership position that reports directly to the Mayor. The REIB Director role shall also be a permanent City position and not a political appointed role – a decision that reflects community feedback that the position, and by extension the office, should be integrated into the core functions of city operations.    

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending November 15, 2025, increased by a small amount, as claims have more than doubled over the last two months. New claims were 418, up 5 claims from the week before and up 96 from last year at this time. Claims were 186 in late September. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. Meanwhile, the government shutdown, the longest in history, is over. The stock market rallied Friday after a rocky week on sketchy AI-related company results but with renewed hope of a Federal Reserve Board interest rate cut in early December. This looks likely as economic reports show uncertainty.

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital (BMH) announced Thursday that President and CEO Christopher J. Dougherty, who has been on a leave of absence since Friday, October 3rd, will not be returning to his position at BMH. According to a statement from the board, the parties agreed that under the current circumstances it is best for Dougherty to depart and for the Hospital to bring in new leadership. Chris is proud of his accomplishments and grateful for the opportunity to have led the Hospital. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today submitted a formal appeal of the denial of Vermont’s request for a federal disaster declaration following the July 10, 2025, storm. A declaration would help communities in Caledonia and Essex counties recover costs for repairing public infrastructure damage caused by rainfall and severe flooding on July 10, 2025. The governor’s appeal points to the cost of infrastructure repairs under the Federal Emergency Management Agency requirements as an aggravating factor that should be considered. It further outlines the cumulative economic effect on the state and communities that have seen catastrophic floods in each of the last three years.