Current News

FairPoint Communications, Inc. (NYSE: FRP) announced today its Board of Directors has appointed David L. Hauser to the position of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Hauser most recently served as group executive and chief financial officer at Duke Energy Corporation (NYSE: DUK). Hauser has been a member of FairPoint s Board of Directors since February 2005, serving as a director, chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Audit Committee. Hauser, 57, will assume his new responsibilities upon the retirement of FairPoint Chairman and CEO Eugene B. Johnson, effective July 1, 2009. Johnson had earlier indicated his intentions to retire.

Jarden Consumer Solutions, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jarden Corporation (NYSE: JAH), and Keurig, Incorporated, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR), today announced a new agreement to jointly develop Mr. Coffee single-cup coffeemakers. These will feature Keurig s branded, patented single-cup brewing technology for the more than 200 varieties of gourmet coffees, teas and hot cocoa packaged in Keurig s patented K-Cup portion packs.
Jarden Consumer Solutions (JCS) intends to commercialize the new coffeemakers in the U.S. and Canada under the Mr. Coffee® brand featuring Keurig®-branded brewing technology to be sold to JCS s retail customers alongside its other products.

Starting today, June 15, SBA will begin accepting loans for a temporary new program called America s Recovery Capital. ARC loans of up to $35,000 are designed to provide a bridge for viable small businesses with immediate financial hardship to keep their doors open until they get back on track. ARC loans are deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000, available to established, viable, for-profit small businesses that need short-term help to make their principal and interest payments on existing and qualifying business debt. ARC loans are 100 percent guaranteed by the SBA and have no SBA fees associated with them.
These ARC loans are another tool in the SBA toolkit which will provide critical support to small businesses struggling to make it through these tough economic times, said Administrator Karen G. Mills.

Governor Jim Douglas joined U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan 20 other governors at a symposium put on by the National Governors Association (NGA) and the James B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Education Leadership and Policy. As vice-chairman of the NGA and chair of NGA Center for Best Practices, Governor Douglas co-hosted the event with former Governor Jim Hunt (D-NC) and Governor Bev Perdue (D-NC).
This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my colleagues to share our thoughts, ideas and experiences with one another and with the Obama Administration, Governor Douglas said. While Vermont students are among the brightest in the country, I looking forward to bringing back ideas that can help improve our system of education by making it more innovative, efficient and cost-effective, he added.

US Rep. Peter Welch on Monday announced a $114,000 federal grant to improve the energy efficiency of the O Brien Community Center in Winooski. The funds will be used to fully insulate the community center s roof and implement other energy-saving measures. The O Brien Center spent $4,000 in heating bills last year. Once the new roof is installed, the center is expected to save 45 percent in heating costs.
This grant will go a long way to improving a vital community center which provides great service to the people of Winooski, Welch said. By making the O Brien Center more energy efficient, we will help Winooski save money and do our small part to fight climate change.

With Vermont leading the way, US maple syrup production in 2009 totaled 2.33 million gallons, up 22 percent from 2008 and the highest on record since 1944. The number of taps is estimated at 8.65 million, 4 percent above the 2008 total of 8.33 million. Yield per tap is estimated to be 0.269 gallons, up 17 percent from the previous season. Vermont led all states in production with 920,000 gallons an increase of 30 percent from 2008 and the highest on record since 1944. Vermont produced more than a third of the national total.

The Arno Group today announced the addition of Daniel Smith to their firm in Stowe, Vermont. Dan brings a strong background in public policy, business development and problem solving to the Arno Group. Prior to his service at GBIC, Dan built a legal practice at the law firm of Downs Rachlin Martin, which focused on government relations, environmental law and regulated entities. Dan provided his clients with in-depth service and innovative solutions to complex challenges.

Vermont Pure Holdings, Ltd. (NYSE Alternext: VPS) announced its financial results for the first half and second quarter of its fiscal year 2009 and that it will file these results on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission today. Total sales for the first six months of fiscal year 2009 decreased 4% to $32.3 million from $33.8 million for the comparable period a year ago. Gross profit decreased 11% in the first half of 2009 to $17 million from $19 million in the comparable period a year earlier. Gross profit, as a percentage of sales, decreased to 52% from 56% for the respective periods. Net income decreased to $327,000 in the first six months of fiscal year 2009 compared to $983,000 in the first six months of fiscal year 2008.

The Retirement Division of the State Treasurer s Office has mailed letters to approximately a thousand State of Vermont employees informing them that they are eligible to apply for voluntary retirement under the 2009 incentive program passed in the recent special legislative session and signed into law by Governor Jim Douglas. The letters were mailed June 12.
State Treasurer Jeb Spaulding wants all employees potentially eligible for the program to be aware of the fast approaching deadline to apply. All applications must be received by the Retirement Division no later than July 31.

TransUnion.com released today the results of its analysis of trends in the auto lending industry for the first quarter of 2009. The report is part of an ongoing series of quarterly consumer lending sector analyses focusing on credit card, auto loan and mortgage data that may be found on TransUnion's Web site. Information for this analysis is culled quarterly from approximately 27 million anonymous, individual credit files, providing a real-life perspective on how U.S. consumers are managing their credit health. The largest improvements in delinquency from the previous quarter were found in South Dakota (45.16 percent decrease from 0.62 percent) and Vermont (33.3 percent decrease from 0.99 percent).
Statistics

Dealer.com (www.dealer.com), the leading provider of online marketing solutions for the automotive industry based in Burlington, Vermont, today announced that the company has increased research and development (R&D) spending by over 100% for 2009. In a time of great challenges for the industry, Dealer.com has increased the commitment to keeping their clients two to four years ahead of the competition by investing at this level, at this crucial time. As the rate of change in technology and Internet marketing best practices continues to accelerate, Dealer.com recognizes that continuously increasing R&D investment is the key to staying at the forefront of technology and helping their dealers achieve even more success.

The Vermont Aerospace and Aviation Association (VAAA) will hold an Open House event at the Vermont Army Aviation Support Facility behind the Burlington International Airport in South Burlington on Thursday, June 18, 2009 from 3 - 5 p.m. Join Lt. Governor and VAAA Chair Brian Dubie for an exciting and informative afternoon. Hear updates in the industry from Gary Loftus of the Goodrich Corporation, Jerry Johnson, Chief Engineer at Sikorsky, and Jason Blais of JobsinVT.com.
The VAAA is managed by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce; it was established in an effort to promote and grow aerospace and aviation in the Green Mountain State. Quarterly networking meetings are held at aviation facilities around the state to provide important updates in aviation and aerospace.
Date: Thursday, June 18, 2009
Time: 3 - 5 p.m.
Location: Vermont Army Aviation Support Facility, South Burlington