Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Small Dog Electronics has opened their doors at Flynn Avenue & Pine Street (316 Flynn Avenue). The grand opening is planned for later this month, but the store is open now.

Vermont Business Magazine Windham Grows Farm Business Accelerator is seeking farmer-entrepreneurs who are interested in individualized farm-business value-added scale-up plans that will include mentoring, in-kind resources, physical space, educational experience and technical expertise. By giving farmer-entrepreneurs the resources needed for high-value  management skills, this project will help farmer-entrepreneurs build dynamic new farm businesses while leveraging one of Vermont’s most valuable assets—land. Based on past success and the tremendous interest throughout Vermont, Windham Grows is excited to expand services to farmers state-wide.

 “From the many farmers who have contacted Windham Grows, we learned that they have specific needs that are different from value-added food businesses,” said Orly Munzing, Strolling of the Heifers Founder. “Therefore, we have created a specialized program for farmers.”

Vermont Business Magazine State Agriculture and Health officials announced that the Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been identified for the first time in Vermont. This normally tropical/subtropical species is a known disease vector for Zika, chikungunya and dengue viruses, infecting humans in countries where these diseases are present. The mosquitoes found in Vermont do not currently carry these viruses.

Vermont Business Magazine Castleton University has received a $2.25 million Title III grant from the US Department of Education, under the Strengthening Institutions Program. The funds, awarded over five years, will support new initiatives designed to improve student success, address student needs, and bolster the University's persistence and completion rates. The University will focus on developing a digital learning commons, providing additional resources for institutional research, upgrades to classroom technology and infrastructure, and more.

"I am incredibly proud of the hardworking team that completed this successful proposal, and I am excited for the opportunities this grant will provide for us to better engage our students and ensure that they have the resources they need to complete their degree," Castleton President Dr. Karen M. Scolforo said.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Kim Greenwood as deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).

Vermont Business Magazine Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced today it will be hosting on-the-spot interviews from 1-6 p.m. at its 608 Warm Brook Road, Arlington, Vt., Headquarters Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019.

Dartmouth/Charlotte Albright and Amy Olson Maple trees are turning color, leaves are dropping, and soon the sap will go dormant until late February or March, when the sugaring season traditionally starts. But over the coming decades, climate change is likely to alter the timing of that cycle, and producers should brace themselves for the impact of rising temperatures on their industry, according to a Dartmouth study of six sugar maple stands from Virginia to Quebec.

Vermont Business Magazine Following last month’s announcement of the Working Lands Enterprise Board (WLEB) Service Provider Grant period opening, the Board has announced the 2020 Business Grant period pre-application guide has now been posted. WLEB business grant funds seek to support the development of Vermont-based agriculture and forest products businesses. The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative (WLEI) supports innovative entrepreneurs at the forefront of Vermont’s Working Lands economy to help growing businesses thrive.

Vermont Business Magazine Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Kristine L Svinicki and Vermont Governor Philip B Scott have signed an agreement to give Vermont regulatory authority over certain radioactive materials in the state. Vermont is the 39th state to sign such an agreement with the NRC.Under the agreement, effective September 30, 2019, Vermont assumes responsibility for licensing, rulemaking, inspection and enforcement activities related to the industrial, medical and academic uses of radioactive material.

The NRC is transferring 36 academic, commercial and medical licenses for radioactive material to Vermont’s jurisdiction. NRC retains jurisdiction over the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon, which is currently decommissioning, as well as federal agencies using certain nuclear material in the state.

Vermont Business Magazine October 8th and 9th 2019, The Logger Education to Advance Professionalism (LEAP) program is offering a modernized logging safety course. The program is one of the requirements for participants to become eligible for the Vermont Logger Safety and Workers’ Insurance program, a certification in high demand by contractors, that can result in a 15% discount on workers’ compensation insurance premiums. The course will cover many safety elements in a mechanized logging environment, as well as expectations set for employers and employees, delivered by safety qualified instructors.

The safety course includes, hazards and protection, safe practices for low-sulfur diesel, machine operation safety, working around power lines, safe planning operations, safety documentation, and the development of a culture of safety in the work environment. 1,200 logging contractors and their employees completed this course in Maine in the spring of 2019.

Vermont Business Magazine The Andrews Community Forest Committee is seeking comments on a new Forest Management Plan proposed for the Andrews Community Forest, a 428-acre conserved property in Richmond. Acquired by the Town of Richmond in 2018 with assistance from the Vermont Land Trust, this is one of Vermont’s newest town forests. The property, a beautiful and important piece of forested land with unique forest types and wildlife habitat, is now protected with a conservation easement held by the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

Vermont Business Magazine The 19th annual Renewable Energy Vermont Conference and Expo welcomes an impressive lineup of speakers for REV2019, themed REV It Up: Empowering Energy Transformation. REV2019, northern New England’s premier event exploring clean energy innovation and climate solutions convenes on Thursday, October 10th and Friday, October 11th at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington, VT. The event hosts more than 500 attendees and features 25 expert panel sessions on renewable electricity, heating, and transportation, sharing the latest technologies, policy updates, finance tools, and community climate action and resilience leadership.