Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The 17th annual Strolling of the Heifers Weekend, featuring a parade of flower-bedecked heifer calves led by future farmers up the historic Main Street of Brattleboro, Vermont takes place June 1, 2 and 3. Organizers promise many special surprises for the occasion. The centerpiece of the weekend is the world-famous Strolling of the Heifers Parade, which starts promptly at 10 am on Saturday, June 2. This year’s parade theme is “May the FARMS Be With You”, so expect the heifers and other marchers to be dressed in their “out of this world” best! The heifer calves lead the parade and are followed by other farm animals, tractors, bands, floats and much more.

Vermont Business Magazine Tammy Johnson has been described as fearless, passionate and driven. She’s also the daughter and granddaughter of women struck down with Alzheimer’s in their late 50’s. More than anything, Tammy Johnson wants to build awareness and, ultimately, find a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine State Treasurer Beth Pearce is taking a bottom-line view of the Legislature’s special session, which began Wednesday and will resume May 30. While Governor Phil Scott and legislative leaders wrangle over property taxes, Pearce is urging the administration and Legislature to not let state government shut down, which would happen if the budget and tax bills do not become law by July 1. She said in a May 18 letter to them that even discussion of a government shutdown could damage the state’s sparkling AAA credit rating. A downgrade to an AA rating would cost the state $7 million over the life of a typical $150 million bond, she projected, and nearly $26 million if the credit rating fell to single A. Separately affected would be other state agencies’ borrowings and local bonds and other financings which rely on the state’s “moral obligation.”

Vermont Business Magazine Anglers, lakeside homeowners, scientists, students, watershed groups, conservation commission members, business owners, and lovers of lakes are invited to attend the 14th annual Vermont Lake Seminar. This daylong seminar is a time to celebrate lakes, learn how to write and submit a successful water quality grant application, and meet leaders from around the state pursing lake restoration projects.

The seminar, organized by the Lakes and Ponds Program of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) in conjunction with the Vermont Federation of Lakes and Ponds, will be held on Friday, June 1, 2018 at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. This year’s theme, “Partners for Healthy Lakes: Exploring Science, Data, and Tools Together,” focuses on how scientific monitoring data can be leveraged to protect and renew Vermont’s lakes.

Vermont Business Magazine At a press conference Thursday in Burlington, Governor Phil Scott was joined by the Vermont Community Loan Fund, which announced a $2 million loan from Bank of America to enable flexible financing and other services to Vermont’s small businesses, nonprofits and community facilities, as well as affordable housing developers and early care and learning programs. The loan will be re-loaned to Vermont businesses and organizations, creating employment for Vermonters, and safe, affordable homes and/or high-quality early care and learning opportunities for children and families.

“We’re honored that Bank of America is investing in the Vermont Community Loan Fund, working with us to improve the lives of vulnerable Vermonters, strengthening communities across our state,” said Loan Fund Executive Director Will Belongia. “The capital investment will bring tremendous impact and opportunity to the work we do,” he added.

Vermont Business Magazine Gardener's Supply Company of Burlington has been named the 2018 ESOP Company of the Year by The ESOP Association. The announcement was made at the association's annual conference. Founded in 1983 by Will Raap, the company launched its ESOP only a few years later, in 1987. By 2009, Gardener's was 100 percent employee owned. The company's 225 regular year-round employees are eligible to participate in the ESOP, as are repeat seasonal employees.

"Gardener's Supply is a prime example of an ESOP company that actively engages its employee owners, the employee ownership community, and elected officials at the state and federal levels," said ESOP Association President J. Michael Keeling. "Its commitment to sharing with others the power of ESOPs is an example all ESOP companies can proudly seek to replicate."

by Christine McGowan “Good forestry equipment does not have to be big and heavy,” says Joel Currier, owner of Currier Forest Products in Danville. “There are big operations doing good work in Vermont, but for my purposes Ingrid is the right size and has much less impact on the forest floor.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce today announced Vermont Mutual Insurance Group as the winner of the prestigious and highly anticipated Deane C Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award, 2017. The announcement came during the opening ceremonies of the Vermont Business Expo at the DoubleTree by Hilton, Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine In preparation for the legislative special session, Governor Phil Scott sent legislative leaders a detailed letter Tuesday outlining his goals for the session. The session began with a brief opening ceremony Wednesday and will reconvene in earnest May 30. Scott's goals are largely unchanged and focus mainly on using surplus of funds from the current fiscal year, which he calculates is about $78 million, instead of raising property taxes by $33 million.

Vermont Business Magazine When people hear the words ‘hazardous waste,’ they may think of high-profile large industrial disasters, but in reality, most hazardous wastes are materials we are all familiar with, such as unused paint and solvents, oily wastes like shop rags, and strong acids and bases used in cleaning. This Spring, the Department of Environmental Conservation is hosting a series of micro-trainings to help towns and businesses learn how to identify, manage, and minimize generation of common hazardous wastes.

“We wanted to provide a quick and easy training for anyone interested in learning how to identify manage, transport and dispose of hazardous waste. Attendees will also get a chance to hear about the simple strategies they can adopt to reduce the amount of hazardous waste they generate,” said Celia Riechel, Compliance Assistance Specialist with the Department of Environmental Conservation.

Vermont Business Magazine On Saturday, May 26, seven Vermont state-owned historic sites will open their doors for the 2018 season. This exceptional collection of sites is comprised of more than 60 historic buildings and hundreds of acres of forest and farmland. Scattered across the state, the sites house impressive museum collections and feature educational exhibits that chronicle the story of our region beginning with the first inhabitants who settled the area approximately 9,000 years ago. Historic sites including prehistoric encampments, Revolutionary War sites, and the homes of U.S. Presidents shed light on the remarkable history of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine EspressoLuv, LLC (www.espressoluv.com), a small-batch coffee roaster based in South Burlington, Vermont, today announced its new e-commerce website for ordering freshly roasted coffees. Customers can visit the website and choose from a variety of globally sourced single origin, signature blends, and limited edition coffees from the Americas, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Coffee can be purchased by the bag or through a monthly subscription plan. The coffee is roasted in small batches in Vermont and shipped within 48 hours of roasting.