Current News

Vermont Business Magazine H.466, a new bill that will help Vermont protect its surface waters, passed second reading in the Vermont Senate today. Its recent passage in both the Vermont House and the Senate represents a significant step toward thoughtful climate-resilient protections for our rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds, while ensuring equitable access for surface water users in the future.

Vermont Business Magazine Efficiency Vermont is honored to receive the 2022 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

2021 was a year of recovery and transformation for Vermont. As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to disrupt lives, Efficiency Vermont maintained a focus on the hardest hit sectors of the economy. Energy-saving programs helped Vermonters and businesses lower costs, build resilience, and reduce carbon emissions.

​Vermont Business Magazine As more employees head back to the office and some consider a job transfer, CapRelo, a global employee relocation and assignment management firm serving private and public sector clients, recently commissioned a survey about what makes a great coworker. The top trait of a great coworker is being collaborative.

“We were curious about the connection between colleagues—especially as more are going back into the workplace and juggling a hybrid work environment,” explained Barry Morris, CEO, CapRelo. “Not surprisingly, we learned that working together with coworkers is very important. The results underscore the importance of work culture, and for those embarking upon a relocation for work, understanding how coworkers interact helps integrate into a productive environment faster.”

Vermont Business Magazine Springfield Regional Development Corporation (SRDC) has announced the approval of $265,000 in financing for four area companies through the Springfield Area CARES Act Revolving Loan Fund. The Fund is the result of a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and is intended to assist businesses with recovery or growth needs stemming from the pandemic.

The loans that were approved include financing for the pending reopening of the Hartness House in Springfield, including the restaurant portion of the operation. Other financing will support the opening of Maria’s 371 Family Restaurant and with growth needs at Vermont Dry & Cure Technologies in North Springfield.

Previous Springfield Area CARES Act RLF loans were approved for the Inn Victoria in Chester as well as DJ’s Enterprises and JC’s Market & Deli in North Springfield.

Vermont Business Magazine Mortarboards will fly once more as Champlain College will hold in-person commencement ceremonies for its traditional undergraduate and Champlain College Online undergraduate and graduate students on Saturday, May 14, 2022. Champlain will award honorary doctorates to commencement speakers Aly Richards, chief executive officer of Let’s Grow Kids, and nationally renowned journalist and author Garrett Graff. The ceremonies will also feature student speakers Izzy Bell and Paula Realbuto. Hilary Delisle, a Champlain College staff member and alumna, will sing the national anthem. The events will take place at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction, at 10 am for traditional undergraduate students and 3 pm for students receiving Champlain College Online undergraduate and master’s degrees.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife Watching wildlife is enjoyable, especially when young animals appear in the spring. But it is best to keep your distance. Picking up young wildlife can do more harm than good, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, and it is also against the law. The Department has announced that trout originally planned for the 2022 stocking season at Sugar Hill Reservoir, also known as Goshen Dam, in Goshen will be diverted to other area waterways for anglers. Also, hunters who provided the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department with a tooth from their deer can now find out how old their deer was by visiting the department’s website.

Dartmouth College Russell Wilson, a top NFL quarterback who has been widely recognized for his community service, will deliver Dartmouth’s commencement address on June 12. A nine-time Pro Bowl player, Wilson has won 113 games, including playoffs, the most in NFL history by any quarterback in his first 10 seasons. He led the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2014 and in 2021 received the league’s most prestigious honor, the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, recognizing his excellence on the field and his longstanding commitment to giving back. Wilson will receive an honorary degree at commencement along with seven other leaders in the fields of physics, engineering, economics, media, business and finance, and international development.

Vermont Business Magazine Encore Renewable Energy, a leading innovator in community-scale clean energy, announced today it has closed on a $20 million senior loan provided by Lacuna Sustainable Investments and Javelin Capital. Lacuna and Javelin are both solution-based providers of strategic capital to renewable energy clients and add substantial expertise in support of Encore’s long-term objectives. This interim debt financing retires existing debt and provides significant growth capital for expansion into new geographic markets and the advancement of innovative clean energy solutions including solar + storage, brownfield redevelopment, and dual land-use agrivoltaic initiatives.

Vermont Business Magazine Rising gas prices, societal trends and a growing charging infrastructure have sparked a new demand for alternative fuel vehicles. Analysts from online insurer QuoteWizard found that while search interest for electric cars spiked 300% between February and March of 2022, demand for alternative fuel vehicles is up 40% for electric cars and 50% for hybrid vehicles compared to 2021.

Green Up Vermont is almost here! Visit the Green Up Vermont website for all the details to make sure one of Vermont's true harbingers of spring is better than ever. Visit the Town Details page on Green Up Vermont's website to find out how to participate in your neck of the woods, fields, and shores!

Vermont Business Magazine After falling in early April, gasoline prices are again on the rise. Statewide, the average price of gasoline was $4.25 per gallon as of Monday, up 11 cents in a week, 7 cents higher in a month and a $1.44 higher than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday, March 4th 2022, Bromley Mountain held their 19th annual “Mom’s Day Off” and raised more than $4,000 to benefit women’s breast cancer care at Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center. Bromley Mountain Ski Resort’s President Bill Cairns (left) presented the check to President and CEO of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC) Thomas A. Dee, FACHE, on Friday, April 8, 2022, at Bromley in Peru, VT.