Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Evernorth closed its third multi-investor fund - Housing New England, Fund III – on March 4, 2022. This fund will provide equity to finance affordable housing in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. 21 investors committed a total of $82.5 million in equity making Housing New England, Fund III (HNE Fund III) a significant financial resource for the region’s critical affordable housing needs. The first new homes will be available in Lebanon, NH in August. In all, the fund will invest in 17 total developments, with 7 in Maine, 5 in New Hampshire and 5 in Vermont, creating 702 affordable apartments.

by Geoffrey Pizzutillo The first day of adult-use cannabis sales in Vermont is May 1, 2022, just a couple of months away, when residents and tourists 21 years of age or older will be able to purchase regulated cannabis and cannabis products. Top of mind, right now, for many Vermont farmers and small producers interested in participating in the emerging legal cannabis market is their ability to reach customers, an essential activity for any small business, yet, it is something Act 164 forbids, and local farmers and small producers demand change.

Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets Vibrant school gardens bustling with students learning to grow food. School cafeterias serving nutritious meals made with locally produced ingredients. Children taking field trips to local farms to pick up their community supported agriculture (CSA) share. These are just some of the impacts of the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets’ Farm to School and Early Childhood grant programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Sparrow Art Supply will be celebrating its grand opening on Friday, March 11, 2022, from 4 to 7 pm. Located at 52 Main Street, Middlebury, Sparrow Art Supply is central Vermont’s resource for artists—from hobbyists to aspiring amateurs to professionals. Anyone interested in being creative will be able to find what they need, from kids to adults.

Vermont Business Magazine M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB) announced Friday the receipt of regulatory approval from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to complete the previously announced acquisition of People's United Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: PBCT). The transaction has also received approval from both the New York State Department of Financial Services and the Connecticut Department of Banking. No further regulatory approvals are required. The merger is expected to be completed in accordance with the law and the agreement.

Saint Michael's College David Dennis Sr. as a young college student already had been one of the first brave “Freedom Riders” in the early 1960s American Civil Rights Movement when a defining moment in Alabama brought him all-in to that Movement. “We ended up in Montgomery under martial law,” he said of his early group of youthful bus-riding protesters across the then-segregated South, who were meeting up with top national Movement leaders of the day such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Andrew Young and John Lewis in the wake of jarring violence against their protests.

Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing VDTM announced Friday that after a four-year hiatus, Vermont has rejoined Discover New England (DNE). DNE is a regional destination marketing organization dedicated to promoting international visitation to the six member states of Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. VDTM will gain access to DNE’s existing media and travel trade relationships. In addition, tourism industry businesses will have access to educational resources and the DNE Summit to meet directly with tour operators.

Vermont Business Magazine Melissa Rosenberg, Bennington College Class of 1986, is joining Bennington College’s Board of Trustees. Rosenberg is an esteemed television writer and producer and screenwriter, who Bennington is proud to call an alumnae. In addition to general trustee duties, Rosenberg will also serve on Bennington’s Education and Community Life committee and engage in their strategic planning process. The Bennington College community is looking forward to her creative leadership as Bennington’s next chapter is written.

Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration and the Center for Women and Enterprise Vermont are hosting a free virtual panel discussion about strategic growth opportunities for woman-owned businesses at 10 am March 11. Strategic growth planning is one of the most important aspects of building a business and can be difficult. This panel will explore why past participants of CWE and SBA’s strategic growth training programs have raved about these free opportunities to plan for sustainable, profitable growth.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Natural Resources is providing $1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to support low- and moderate-income Vermont homeowners in repairing or replacing their failed or inadequate on-site water or wastewater systems – often referred to as wells or septic systems.

Eligible homeowners with failed or inadequate wells, springs, septic tanks, leach fields, or wastewater systems are encouraged to apply for funding by April 15, 2022 to be considered for the first round of funding. This funding will ensure Vermonters have access to safe drinking water and adequate wastewater disposal. Applicants will be notified of first round awards in May and June 2022, and awards must be spent prior to the end of 2026. Starting April 16, 2022, applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and funding will be provided as available.

Vermont Business Magazine Haematologic Technologies, a global analytical and bioanalytical leader for large molecule drug development based in Essex Junction, announced Thursday they’ll be operating under the new name, Prolytix — integrating HT and Haemtech Biopharma Services. This integration is bringing biotherapeutic, analytical CMC, and bioanalytical CRO services, expertise, and facilities together to support the growing need for analytical and bioanalytical services for large molecules.

​Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Bank, a leading socially responsible community-dedicated bank with branch locations in New England and New York, announced $596,800 in philanthropic investments from its Foundation during the fourth quarter of 2021 (October 1 – December 31). The grants awarded cover a wide range of projects that help foster upward economic mobility, support overall well-being, and enhance opportunities for individual success in the communities the bank serves, which includes southwestern Vermont.