Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced that Vermont has reached a settlement agreement with the pharmaceutical distributor Reckitt Benckiser Group for $10.67 million, of which $4.3 million will go to the state. The settlement resolves allegations that the company improperly marketed and promoted the drug Suboxone, resulting in improper expenditures of Medicaid funds. Of the total settlement, $5.46 million will be distributed to the federal government for the recovery of federal funding provided to Vermont Medicaid. The remaining sum is comprised of restitution for the State Medicaid system, additional recoveries for the State, and payment to the whistleblower(s) under the False Claims Act. 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) has joined Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and 17 other senators in announcing that the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has opened an investigation that they requested into potential suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents, and communications by political appointees at USDA.

The announcement followed a June request by the senators to initiate the investigation following widespread reports of politically motivated decision making at USDA that led to potential instances of suppression and alteration of scientific reports, documents or communications produced by USDA.

Vermont Business Magazine Global industrial and IoT hardware manufacturer and solution provider Logic Supply, announced today that it is changing its name to OnLogic. The new name reflects the evolution of the company from a computer component supplier to a comprehensive solution provider of ultra-reliable small form factor industrial computers, IoT gateways and edge devices for the world's most well known companies. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) customers can now track their own energy use and learn about GMP programs just by asking Alexa. GMP launched the Alexa skill so customers have another simple, convenient way to learn more about how they use energy so they can save money. Green Mountain Power said it is obsessed with customers and delivering innovations that make their lives easier.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University cadets, alumni and friends will continue their tradition of marching 50 miles to raise money for the Veterans’ Place Inc, a Northfield transition home and support center for homeless veterans. Both the Legacy March fundraiser and The Veterans’ Place Inc, are celebrating 10 year anniversaries in 2019 - Norwich’s bicentennial year.

The three-day, Annual Legacy March begins Thursday, Oct. 31, in Norwich, Vermont - Norwich University’s original “hometown,” and ends Saturday, Nov. 2, with the cadets arriving back to Northfield for lunch.

In the tradition of experiential education championed by Norwich founder Capt. Alden Partridge, marchers will receive educational instruction on local and regional history and engineering from Norwich University faculty, staff and alumni.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Capital of Vermont announced that long time Central Vermont resident Alex Rob will be its Executive Director. Rob comes to Community Capital with a background in financial and human services. For the past five years, he has been the Executive Director of Community Connections, the largest provider of childcare in Washington County.

Community Capital is a statewide, nonprofit community-based lending organization whose mission is to help small businesses and lower income entrepreneurs prosper by providing flexible financing and business coaching. Rob will assume his role at Community Capital this month.

Alexander Rob, Executive Director, Community Capital of Vermont

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Democratic Party is thrilled to announce the featured speaker for its fall fundraiser — Autumn Harvest — will be the Congresswoman from New York’s 6th District and Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee, Grace Meng. Congresswoman Meng is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State and serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the House Ethics Committee. A tireless advocate for children and families, she founded and co-chairs the Kids’ Safety Caucus, the first bipartisan coalition in the House to promote child-safety issues.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont reported the 3rd lowest murder rate compared to other states. This was 3.1 points below the national average of 4.9 homicides per 100,000 individuals, according to a new report from safewise.com. In fact, Three of the state with the lowest rates are in Northern New England.

Vermont Business Magazine The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) recently closed out its sixth federal grant aimed at bringing brownfield sites back into productive use and spurring new economic investment. TRORC has sought and been awarded $1.6 million of funding from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the past two decades and has looked at dozens of sites in towns throughout Orange and Windsor counties. TRORC successfully applied for another $300,000 in brownfields assessment grant funding from EPA this year, and is just starting to receive those funds to continue this needed work.

Vermont Business Magazine Revision Ballistics, LTD, a manufacturer of protective helmets, armor, and other equipment for military, law enforcement, and special operations in Newport, has been awarded a workforce development grant totaling $160,967 from the Vermont Training Program (VTP). The funding will support cross-training of existing employees in manufacturing steps to increase capacity and productivity at the company’s Newport facility. Revision Ballistics is seeking to evolve production to Lean Manufacturing practices, which reduces waste while still ensuring top-quality products. The training will be led by in-house employee experts, with the support of Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) facilitators and trainers, who will work closely with Revision leadership to execute Kaizen cycles of improvement.

Vermont Business Magazine What does it look like when governments cooperate? That question is the premise for the 7^th annual Municipal Day. The popular training, sponsored by the Agency of Natural Resources, is an opportunity for municipal representatives to meet and learn from state officials during workshops designed to empower and inform Vermont’s local government officials and volunteers. Participants, who range from planning and zoning commissioners to town managers and selectboard members, walk away with information they can immediately apply in their daily work.

Public Assets Institute After a steady rise in the first half of 2019, the number of Vermonters working declined by more than 2,000 in August and September, offsetting half the growth tallied from January to July. Vermont’s unemployment rate, which was at an all-time low during the summer, ticked up to 2.2 percent in September.