Current News

Vermont Business Magazine GS Precision, Inc, a Brattleboro-based manufacturer of complex, high-precision components and specialty hardware used primarily in aerospace engines and defense systems, announced today that it acquired FT Gearing Systems, a provider of highly engineered gears to the aerospace and defense industries. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. GSP is a portfolio company of AE Industrial Partners, a US-based private equity firm specializing in aerospace, defense & government services, space, power & utility services, and specialty industrial markets. FT Gearing marks GSP's second add-on acquisition since being acquired by AEI, including its acquisition of SMC Aerospace last month.

Vermont Business Magazine Gun deaths outpaced motor vehicle deaths in 34 states and the District of Columbia in 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, a new analysis from the Violence Policy Center (VPC) reveals. That year, gun deaths (including gun suicide, homicide, and fatal unintentional shootings) outpaced motor vehicle deaths (both occupant and pedestrian) in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and Vermont Fish and Wildlife Board will hold two more public hearings on May 10 and 12 to solicit input on deer and the department’s 2022 Antlerless Harvest and Youth Season Recommendation. The hearings are scheduled for 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at the following locations: Tuesday, May 10 – Bellows Falls Union High School, 406 High School Rd, Westminster, VT 05158; Thursday, May 12 – Vermont Fish and Wildlife Dept., 111 West St, Essex Junction, VT 05452.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Board of School Commissioners has selected a conceptual design for a new high school and technical center in Burlington School District. The board voted unanimously to support what had been known as “Option C”, a building that would run parallel to Institute Road with Burlington High School (BHS) located in the eastern portion of the building and Burlington Technical Center (BTC) located in the western portion of the building. This option was recommended by both Superintendent Flanagan and the BHS/BTC 2025 Design Team.

Vermont Business Magazine Former gubernatorial candidate John Klar seeks support for his election bid to become Orange County’s next Senator. In a statement Klar said, "Challenging a seat long held by Democrat Mark MacDonald, farmer, writer, and attorney John Klar offers creative ideas and strong criticism of a bloated state bureaucracy as alternatives for consideration by all Vermonters."

Vermont Business Magazine Members of the Highgate community came together Tuesday, April 26, for the second step of the Highgate: Reaching New Heights community visit process and set four concrete and actionable priorities for the future of the town: Advance Career Training, Workforce Development, and Agricultural Career Pathways; Expand Community Events and Boost Volunteerism and Engagement; Recruit and Support Local Businesses; Expand the Highgate Library and Community Center.

Vermont Business Magazine TDS Telecommunications LLC will begin construction on a high-speed, all-fiber internet network in portions of several Vermont communities later this year. The projects will deliver what’s known as the “gold standard” of internet connections to residents and businesses in communities including Baltimore, Cavendish, Ludlow, Perkinsville, Plymouth, Weathersfield, Northfield, and Roxbury. More than 9,000 addresses within TDS’ footprint will have access to the network. The network will feature up to 2Gig internet download and upload speeds.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of its ongoing commitment to support training and workforce development, Advantage Truck Group will host the Diesel Equipment Technology competition for the 2022 SkillsUSA Massachusetts and SkillsUSA Vermont State Championships at its Shrewsbury facility. High school students from Vermont will compete on Thursday, April 28, and students from Massachusetts will compete on Friday, April 29. The winner from each competition will represent their state at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference diesel competition in June.

Vermont Business Magazine Population Media Center (PMC), a Vermont-based global sustainability nonprofit and broadcast production partner, has submitted an endorsement of Vermont’s proposed Reproductive Liberty Amendment protecting reproductive liberty. Simultaneously, in other regions of the United States, PMC staff are on the ground documenting the arduous journeys of real people seeking abortion care despite legislative, geographic, socio-economic, and other barriers for a 10-episode, docu-style PMC podcast, Crossing The Line.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Warden Service has completed a multi-month poaching investigation resulting in the arrest of five Windsor County males suspected of taking 14 illegal deer in Vermont during the fall of 2021.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department Game Wardens and Detectives worked alongside Conservation Officers from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, and Special Agents of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service through the investigation. In addition to the 14 illegal deer taken in Vermont, those involved are suspected of taking multiple illegal deer in New Hampshire. They are facing additional charges in that jurisdiction.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced Commissioner Mike Pieciak will be stepping away from his role leading the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR) next month to pursue other opportunities. Pieciak, along with Health Commissioner Mark Levine and former Human Services Secretary Mike Smith, was a familiar face at the governor's pandemic response press conferences beginning in March 2020. Pieciak provided data modeling related to the rise and recent decline of COVID-19. Commissioner Pieciak was appointed to lead the consumer watchdog agency by Governor Scott in January 2017. He joined DFR in 2014 as Deputy Commissioner of the Securities Division, appointed by Governor Peter Shumlin.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health today is reporting 424 cases of COVID-19 for Tuesday (327 Monday, 179 Sunday). There were 251 on Saturday and 372 last Friday, as cases have edged up in recent weeks and 8.5 percent in the last week. The seven-day positivity rate keeps rising and is now 12.9%; the record was 13.8% set January 8.