Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On September 14, Ivy Computer hosted a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the anticipated construction of a new 22,000-square-foot office building on their current campus. Representatives from several state agencies, including Commissioner of the Vermont Department of Economic Development Joan Goldstein and Jamie Stewart, Executive Director of the Vermont Economic Development Corporation, were on hand for the celebration. Founded in 1986, Ivy Computer is the producer of software tools specific to the trash hauling industry, most prominently a business management product (Trash Flow) and a money processing platform (Trash Billing). Ivy’s continuing robust growth has allowed the company to steadily increase hiring, and staff increases dictate a need for more space to accommodate that growth.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets The Big E is now open! From now through October 2nd, visit the Avenue of the States during the Big E, the only fair in the U.S. where more than one state participates. On this educational thoroughfare you'll see impressive replicas of each New England state's original statehouse sitting on land actually owned by that state. The Vermont Building will be filled with a long list of Vermont vendors including Eden Specialty Ciders, Halladay’s Harvest Barn, Bergamot + Amor, Treeline Terrains, Nomadic Kitchen, KIS Kombucha, and many more. Come support local businesses who make the Vermont Building so special! Vermont Day is Saturday, September 24th.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, the US Environmental Protection Agency awarded over $63 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to Vermont for water infrastructure improvements. Planned projects in Vermont that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will fund include lead line replacement projects in Springfield and Northfield, as well as projects to address PFAS contamination in Killington and Bennington. A host of other projects are slated for funding in the state through this new increase in funding, which will significantly increase the ability of towns and cities to meet their infrastructure needs.

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine Who is Frank Cioffi, and what does he do for Vermont? Well, it’s complicated. Cioffi (pronounced “coffee”), 67, is the long-time president of the nonprofit Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation, but that’s just his day job. He also swims in a full tide of acronyms — VTC, CCETB, VCET, EPSCoR, UVM, to name a few. Somehow, he seems to have had a hand in almost every significant economic development in Vermont over the past three decades. “There are few people as committed to making Vermont an even better place to live and work than Frank Cioffi."

Vermont Business Magazine 2022 has been the year of the job fair in Vermont. The Department of Labor and its statewide and local partners have amplified efforts to connect jobseekers and employers, holding 14 in-person events between April and August, with two additional events - Fall Job Fest in Bennington (September 20) and Rutland (September 22) - scheduled for this coming week.

Vermont Agency of Transportation This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will have traffic impacts on state highways throughout Vermont for the week of September 19, 2022. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.

Vermont Business Magazine Queen City BNI, a local chapter of the international business networking organization recently surpassed $5 million in chapter earnings since its foundation in 2016. The group focuses on relationship building, with a motto of “Givers Gain®.” Chapter partners continuously pass referrals to one another, in order to connect with other businesses and successfully generate revenue. Queen City BNI is currently ranked as number one in the state among eleven total chapters in Vermont. The group welcomes like minded professionals to join their weekly, in-person meetings at Burlington City Arts, located at 135 Church Street in Burlington, on Wednesdays from 11:15 am-1:00 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine S&P Global Ratings has affirmed the State of Vermont’s AA+ (the second highest) general obligation bond ratings and revised the rating outlook from negative to stable. Vermont is still the highest rated New England state. In the ratings report, S&P wrote that the improved outlook is attributed to recent shifts in demographic trends, “retirement reforms designed to significantly reduce unfunded liabilities,” and historical credit strengths including “regular forecast updates, annual midyear budget adjustments, consistent reserve levels across economic cycles, and debt affordability oversight.” Vermont received the highest score possible in the financial management category. The state’s bond rating was downgraded by Moody’s and Fitch from triple A status in 2018 and 2019, respectively, and the assignment of a “negative outlook” by S&P in 2020.

The Vermont National Guard is hosting Operation Bullseye, an open-range day for community members to use the Ethan Allen Firing Range training sites. This event is scheduled to provide a safe environment for people to sight in personal firearms and test their firing abilities. This event is hosted by the Vermont National Guard and is open for community members to attend. Ethan Allen Firing Range, 113 Ethan Allen Rd. Jericho, Vt. Saturday and Sunday beginning at 7 am.

The Vermont State Police has continued its investigation into an assault on a construction worker that occurred Wednesday morning, Sept. 14, 2022, in the woods near Interstate 91 southbound in the town of Rockingham. A suspect who had been arrested on an aggravated assault charge, 45-year-old Ryan Avery, has been cleared of involvement after state police investigators were able to determine conclusively that he was at another location when the incident occurred. In addition, the Windham County State’s Attorney’s Office has dismissed a separate charge of simple assault against Avery that related to his actions while in custody at the Vermont State Police barracks in Westminster early Thursday morning.