Current News

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department announced a significant upgrade to its BioFinder planning and conservation mapping tool. New data layers will allow users to display socio-economic variables including per capita poverty, health insurance coverage, and a social vulnerability index alongside the ecological datasets from Vermont Conservation Design that currently populate BioFinder. Meeting the needs of both human and natural communities is an important part of the State of Vermont’s strategy for responding to climate change.

Vermont Agency of Transportation Motorists be advised, beginning tomorrow 9/27 @ 10:00 a.m. there will be Rolling Roadblocks on I-89 SB & NB barrels, in the Waterbury/Bolton area between exits 10 & 11, as well as flaggers to be located on US 2. Delays are not expected to exceed 10 min. If the planned Rolling Roadblock needs to be delayed due to weather the rain date will be Wednesday, September 28th.

Vermont Business Magazine A University of Vermont team focused on health care and research related to autism has received two awards totaling $350,000, through the Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards program. The program is an initiative of the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The funds will support outreach with the autism community around Vermont to empower autistic youth, adults and their families as leaders in the research needed to address their current healthcare challenges.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets Is your business a part of the farm and forest economy? Are you in need of funding for a capital project you've been planning? The Working Lands Enterprise Initiative has funding available through their Business Enhancement Grant, formerly known as the Standard Business Grant. The Business Enhancement Grant can fund projects up to $35,000 that focus on market development, research & development, infrastructure, energy, workforce training and development, and more. Projects must have a 100% (one to one) match that can be cash or a combination of cash and in-kind items. Projects must be completed within 12 months.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Just try and find a contractor to install a new kitchen, or to even just fix a crack in your chimney, or a tradesman to do just about anything around the house, and you’ll begin to understand what it’s like to run a general contracting business in Vermont. Labor is tight, supplies are expensive, if they’re even available, costs for fuel and any petroleum product are high, wages are up, and for all those reasons and more, many projects had to be re-bid and thus delayed. But underlying all that is undeniably good news for the industry.

Vermont Business Magazine Below are Q&As with two Vermont contractors. Jay Fayette, President/CEO of PC Construction and Johnny Illick, CEO and owner of ReArch Company. Both are based in South Burlington

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Commercial real estate is in a state of flux, evolution, turmoil. Brick-and-mortar retail has been in decline since the dawn of the internet, even as retail sales from all platforms have boomed. This has left empty storefronts on Main Street and mannequins gazing into nothing at shopping malls. Restaurants would be thriving, by all accounts, if not for the workforce shortage across the country, which is acute in Vermont. Some eateries have closed or reduced staff or hours simply because they can’t find qualified help. However, there is good news with the vast CityPlace development in Burlington, which remains desolate four years after demolition. The owners have submitted paperwork to build affordable housing on one portion of the site.

Vermont Business Magazine It’s been a good 12 months for the Associated General Contractors of Vermont. A year ago, the Montpelier-based construction trade association was named the best AGC in the nation for its size. Last week they were named the fastest growing. They also specialize in Burgers and Brews. Richard Wobby, executive vice president of AGC/VT: “Pre-COVID we took a dynamic shift in the relevancy of what we’re doing.”

The Made in Vermont Marketplace is an extraordinary opportunity for Vermont companies to showcase their Made in Vermont products to an audience of thousands of prospective customers in one weekend. The trade show is dedicated to promoting the great variety of Vermont-made products . . . from furniture, specialty foods, clothing, wines and so much more! Only Vermont based companies that make their products in Vermont are eligible to exhibit.

Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center Join VMEC for a panel discussion with the State of Vermont Departments of Economic Development and Labor, Vermont State Colleges Workforce Division and VT manufacturing leaders to discuss the current and future states of manufacturing in the Green Mountain State.