Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Drafty, inefficient homes in need of weatherization will soon have a new affordable program available to them with the launch of the Weatherization Repayment Assistance Program (WRAP). The program, funded by $9 million from the state and overseen by the Vermont Housing Finance Agency (VHFA), will use an innovative on-bill payment model to help moderate-income Vermonters participate in comprehensive home energy projects. WRAP will allow Vermont households to pay for qualifying weatherization projects like insulation and air sealing as well as heat pumps and advanced wood heating systems through a monthly charge on their utility bill that can be paid back over time. Both homeowners and renters can participate in the program.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos announces the completion of the 2022 Vermont General Election Audit, conducted on December 6 at the Pavilion Auditorium in Montpelier. No significant abnormalities or discrepancies were found between audit results and the Official Returns of Vote. Seven towns or cities were selected at random for the 2022 General Election Audit: Burlington (Chittenden -13 District), Dover, Fair Haven, Mt. Tabor, Newport City, Richford, and Waitsfield.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, December 9, 2022, The Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS), Evernorth, community members and funders, will be joined by Mayor Miro Weinberger to mark the start of construction of deeply affordable housing for 16 families currently living in emergency shelters or motels. The new multifamily apartment building, named Main Street Family Housing, is being constructed on existing COTS property, adjoining their Main Street Family Shelter. These new apartments will provide families with permanent, service-enriched housing as well as continued access to COTS support services.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont-based Burton has announced its new online rental program - giving riders the choice of renting a full kit online and having their rental snowboards, boots, bindings and outerwear shipped to their destination anywhere in the continental US. Soft-launched in October on Burton.com, the industry-first program is powered on the backend by Arrive, the leading technology company that powers resale and rental channels for brands and is ready to offer riders a streamlined service for experiencing more while owning less. The new Burton online rental program is designed for riders looking to try new equipment, gear up for specific terrain, learn on the best products possible and avoid the cost and hassle of flying with extra luggage.

Vermont Business Magazine NBT Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ: NBTB), with branches in Vermont, and Connecticut's Salisbury Bancorp, Inc (NASDAQ: SAL) have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which Salisbury will merge with and into NBT. The merger consideration is 100% stock and is valued at approximately $204 million and is expected to close in the second quarter of 2023 subject to customary closing conditions, including approval by the shareholders of Salisbury and required regulatory approvals. The combination, approved unanimously by the boards of directors of both companies, will provide market extension for both institutions and join two high-quality franchises with long histories of service to their customers and communities.

Vermont Business Magazine Temporary help firm Westaff has announced a significant milestone in sales. The company, which is owned by the Burlington area-based Mount Family Group Ltd has reached $500,000,000 in sales since its inception as Westaff in 1990. Since 1990, Westaff has grown from one office in Burlington to four offices in Vermont and eight offices in neighboring states.

The Vermont State Police is investigating the death of a Green Mountain Power employee at a job site in Halifax (Windham County). First responders were notified at about 11 am Thursday, December 1, 2022, that Lukas E. Donahue, 41, of Colrain, Massachusetts, had been seriously injured while working on restoring electric service following an outage caused by trees resting on power lines on Reed Hill Road. Donahue was subsequently pronounced deceased on scene. The VSP investigation indicates this death was accidental and non-suspicious. No further information is available.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced that the State of Vermont has hired The Hartford to create the Vermont Family and Medical Leave Insurance Plan (VT-FMLI), a voluntary paid family and medical leave program that will give all working Vermonters access to affordable paid family and medical leave insurance by 2025. Legislative leaders responded by stating that they will push for universal coverage with more comprehensive benefits.

Vermont Business Magazine At the recent Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance’s (VOBA) Annual Meeting, US Senator Patrick Leahy presented the Second Annual Trailblazer Legacy Award via video to Marc Sherman and Mike Donohue of Outdoor Gear Exchange (OGE). VOBA selected the founders of OGE as this year’s Trailblazer Legacy Award winner not only because Outdoor Gear Exchange has been recognized as one of the most successful independent outdoor retailers in the country, but because they have done so while giving back to Vermont’s local community.

by Betsy Bishop, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs Each new biennium brings new energy to Montpelier and an invigorated drive for progress. A pivot point in pandemic recovery, 2023 is perhaps a year more anticipated than most. Record-high spending in recent years has been possible due to the influx of federal funding for pandemic relief. As that federal funding is depleted, the ability of Vermonters to absorb the cost of sustained programs will be central to our work.

Vermont Business Magazine Continuing its efforts to better the communities it serves, Healthy Living has committed to giving back this year, with the help of shoppers, through its “Together We Can Help” program. By rounding up purchases to the next dollar, shoppers have contributed to a number of local nonprofit organizations in the South Burlington, Williston, and Saratoga Springs, New York, communities. Those roundups, along with matches from Healthy Living, totaled $91,146.56 as of Dec. 1.