Current News

by Peter Sterling, REV There’s good news ahead in the fight against climate change. Utilities, business owners and energy experts now acknowledge there’s an affordable path to achieving what was once just a dream for environmentalists - a 100% renewable energy future for Vermont. This future includes more energy storage and conservation, weatherizing of our homes and a switch off of fossil fuels and onto hydro, solar and wind power for all of our electricity. This renewable energy future starts with the political leadership to change our laws at home- updating our 2015 Renewable Energy Standard to require utilities to get to 100% renewables by 2030. Once a leader in New England in the energy transition off of fossil fuels, Vermont is now the only state in the region to not have updated its renewables requirement in the last eight years as the reality of the economic, environmental and social costs of the climate crisis have sunk in.

Vermont Business Magazine Three Palestinian students were shot while walking on North Prospect Street in Burlington Saturday by an unknown person for an unknown reason, police said. All three are expected to survive, with one victim in more serious condition than the others. Seven Days reported Monday morning that Jason J. Eaton, who police said lives in the building in front of which the shooting occurred, was expected to be arraigned on Monday morning. Charges were not immediately announced. Governor Phil Scott on Sunday issued the following statement: “The shooting of three students of Palestinian descent in Burlington last night is a tragedy, and I hope each of them make a full recovery from their injuries. My thoughts are with them and their families. I have offered the State’s full support to the Mayor and Burlington Police Chief as this senseless crime is investigated, and in support of the Palestinian and broader Burlington community."

by Emily Bradbury Richard Berkfield, executive director of Food Connects, has a vision that someday soon, Vermont farmers and food producers will be able to supply more food to more people in the region. In doing so, farms and small businesses will thrive and people will have access to healthy, affordable, locally produced food–especially those living in rural areas where food is grown, but not always available. While that vision may call to mind verdant farms and colorful produce, for Berkfield, at the moment it’s about warehouses and refrigeration.

by Amanda Kuhnert Matt Lewis doesn’t shy away from new challenges. In fact, he embraces them. “If someone else can do it, I figure I can do it too,” he said. “I do my very best to learn everything I can.” His career includes stints as a carpenter, rock-climbing gym manager, sailing instructor and, most recently, a consultant for AT&T. In June, he added business owner to the list when he and his wife, Carrie, purchased Gourmet Provence, a bakery on Center Street in Brandon, where the couple have lived for a decade.

Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies In this episode, we are joined by Christian Cobaugh, the founder and CEO of Vernal Biosciences, a groundbreaking mRNA production company located in Colchester. With Vernal recently securing an impressive $20 million capital raise, Cobaugh shares the company's remarkable achievements and their unique features. Cobaugh delves into the importance of moving swiftly and outlines an ambitious vision for the future of Vernal Biosciences. 

by Secretary Lindsay Kurrle and Secretary Jenney Samuelson Vermont faces a housing crisis. So, like we did during the pandemic and the flood, the Scott Administration has worked to tackle this issue with a collaborative, cross-agency approach bringing together the agencies of Commerce and Community Development, Human Services, Natural Resources and Digital Services, and the departments of Housing, Children & Families and Public Safety. This collaboration gives us a comprehensive view of this complicated problem. And we’ve been successful in transitioning an unprecedented number of Vermonters out of homelessness and creating more new homes than Vermont has seen in decades. But the fact remains, it has not been enough.

Vermont Business Magazine Retreat Farm and HatchSpace are bringing everyone to the table to participate in an exciting community build project that supports the area’s newest community space. If you have driven along Route 30 lately, it’s hard to miss the big changes happening at Retreat Farm. The renovation effort to transform the historic North Barn into a community gathering space is underway. Over the past few months, Tom Bodett from HatchSpace embarked on designing a unique farm table for the North Barn. The long farm tables will feature locally sourced and milled pine, and an innovative sawhorse design that makes the tables beautiful, functional, and easy to store.

Bromley Mountain Ski Resort The long awaited opening day of the 23/24 Bromley season is finally here! The first 150 skiers/snowboarders to arrive will receive a free gift as a token of our appreciation so dust off that equipment and join us for top to bottom turns all weekend long! Our route down from the summit will be Upper Twister to West Meadow. The #1 Sun Mountain Express and #5 Alpine Chair are scheduled to spin both Saturday, 11/25 and Sunday, 11/26 from 9:00am-4:00pm. There is no easy way down from the summit. Early season conditions exist and are suited for intermediate to advanced skiers and riders.

Vermont Business Magazine A new study has revealed that Vermont has the ninth highest student debt per borrower.  Vermont is also the 3rd most educated state by percentage of the population with a bachelor’s education or higher, behind Massachusetts and Colorado. Meanwhile, Vermont has the fifth lowest average cost of college. Higher education research group Degree Choices analyzed data from the Office of Federal Student Aid to determine which states had the highest average student debt per borrower. Vermonters hold $3 billion of student debt across 78,800 borrowers, giving an average student debt per borrower of $38,071.

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine A conversation about Washington County’s economy starts with a question: Were you flooded? The county’s economy had achieved — or at least adapted to — a new normal after several years of upheaval from the global COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, central Vermont felt the same squeeze from shortages that confronted neighbors across the state: housing, workers and affordable child care. Still, many businesses’ ledgers contained more black ink than red. They’d reached a new normal, said Melissa Bounty, executive director of the Central Vermont Economic Development Corp. (CVEDC). “2023 felt by all accounts like it was going to be a very successful summer and fall,“ she said. Then, the July floods came.

Vermont Business Magazine A new Forbes Advisor report analyzed all 50 states and the District of Columbia to find which areas are the most and least affected by retail crime, and Vermont ranked as the 13th most impacted.  Organized retail crime has become an issue for retailers nationwide, with stores such as Target saying they are closing storefronts due to theft losses and for safety precautions. The National Retail Federation reported that more retailers in America felt organized retail crime was a higher priority in 2023 (78.1%) compared to 2022 (70.7%). In addition, shoplifting statistics show that 88% of retailers say that shoplifters are at least somewhat more aggressive and violent compared to one year ago. Their survey reveals that the vast majority of small business retailers nationwide have experienced theft at their stores (90%) and 83% said they believe retail theft is at least a somewhat major issue.

by Joy Choquette, Vermont Business Magazine A verse in a popular children’s song describes transportation in simple terms: No matter how we travel, by train, plane, car or boat, by bus, bike or whatever, we’ll see the whole world! What’s going on in Vermont transportation now? Are there new incentives business owners can offer employees? How did the summer flooding affect transportation around the state? And has a full recovery been made?