Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Mascoma Bank has announced that Ed Howe has been hired as Senior Vice President & Regional Commercial Banking Manager on its greater Burlington, Vermont team. Ed is primarily responsible for growing the Bank’s commercial and industrial (C&I) lending team and building a portfolio of commercial lending relationships. He has over 20 years of experience in C&I lending. He previously worked with M&T Bank after the institution merged with People’s United Bank and held roles with KeyBank and Chittenden Bank.

Vermont Business Magazine A treasured tradition for more than three decades, the 2025 Shires’ Holiday Inn Tours—coordinated by the Manchester Business Association and The Shires of Southwestern Vermont—returns on Saturday, December 6 and Saturday, December 13, inviting the public to explore some of Southern Vermont’s most charming and historic lodging properties. From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Saturday, 17 inns, B&Bs, lodges, and boutique hotels across the region will open their doors for self-guided tours, welcoming guests with festive décor, local treats, and classic holiday warmth. This year, the event carries added significance. Food insecurity in Vermont continues to rise post-COVID, and every ticket sold directly supports local hunger-relief organizations. 

Vermont Business Magazine The newly formed Vermont Journalism Coalition has elected a board of directors and is seeking an executive director. There are 31 member organizations, including VermontBiz.com and most news organizations in Vermont: print, broadcast and digital.

Vermont Business Magazine The Samara Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation is pleased to announce $108,000 in grants to 30 organizations across the state in 2025. These grants include funding for LGBTQ+ centered events, projects, and organizational operating support. The fund also provided 15 scholarships to graduating seniors from across the state totaling $23,250. Led by a group of queer and trans Vermonters, the fund supports transformational grants and scholarships for individuals and organizations working to advance the empowerment, health, and safety of LGBTQ+ and HIV-positive people across Vermont. These grants and scholarships are made possible by generous donors to the Samara Fund's annual campaign and annual distributions from the Samara Fund, the Douglas E. Howe and Frank E. Shivers Memorial Fund, and the Aretinolio Barbarossa Fund.

Vermont Business Magazine A group from Saint Michael’s College is calling on Vermont’s U.S. Senators to help “turn back time” on recent decisions by the federal government targeting funding for programs addressing global public health threats, including HIV/AIDS. On Friday, Dec. 5, the Student Global AIDS Campaign (SGAC) at Saint Michael’s College will rally and visit the offices of U.S. Sen. Peter Welch and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in Burlington. The annual rally’s theme this year is “Turn Back Time,” an homage to the Cher hit that also highlights a timely message related to the recent federal government actions. Students taking part in the rally plan to give each U.S. Senator a clock figurine to remind them of the “Turn Back Time” message. Demonstrators will also wear neon colors and play 80s music to match their slogan.    

Vermont Business Magazine Rules regarding movement of firewood and logs from Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infested areas have been simplified to allow for movement of wood under certain conditions. Since it was first detected in Vermont in 2018, the number of areas infested with EAB has increased steadily. As of October 2025, 90% of the state’s municipalities are within 10 miles of at least one known EAB detection and nearly 140 Vermont municipalities (~55%) have at least one known EAB detection. The Secretary of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Commissioner of the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation have jointly issued an administrative order modifying the recommendations regarding the movement of potentially infested ash logs and firewood in Vermont. The order aims to address forest health concerns by minimizing the risk of spreading EAB to un-infested areas while simplifying the rules to enable limited movement of potentially infested ash logs and firewood.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.11/g, down 2 cents per gallon from last week, up 3 cents/g from last month and down 1 cent/g from this time last year, according to AAA. The lowest price in the state this week was $2.82/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 47.0 cents per gallon. Prices are lowest in Bennington ($2.95/g) and Rutland ($3.00/g) counties and highest in Chittenden ($3.19/g), Washington ($3.19/g) and Grand Isle ($3.21/g). The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $2.99/g today.

Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: BETA), a Vermont-based electric aerospace company, leading in the development and commercialization of electric aircraft, charging infrastructure, and aerospace grade electric propulsion, today announced its financial and operating results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2025. Highlights include: Successfully listed as a public company on NYSE; formed strategic partnership with GE Aerospace including $300M equity investment.; received FAA Part 35 Type Certification for Hartzell Propeller. The South Burlington electric aircraft maker, which went public in November, nearly tripled revenues to $8.9 million, from $3.1 million in 3Q2024.

Vermont Business Magazine Eve Air Mobility (NYSE: EVEX), (NYSE: EVEXW) has selected BETA Technologies (NYSE: BETA) to supply electric pusher motors for its conforming prototypes and production aircraft. With a current backlog of 2,800 eVTOLs, Eve is strengthening its supply chain through this collaboration. The agreement represents a potential 10-year opportunity for BETA of up to USD $1 billion and reinforces Eve's commitment to proven technologies and dedication to exceeding mission requirements. The agreement follows an initial evaluation period in which Eve purchased, tested, and validated the performance of BETA motors in its Engineering Prototype in anticipation of its first flight, which is expected to take place late this year/early 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his cabinet will be in Bennington County on Friday, December 5 for its Capital for a Day 14-county tour. Governor Scott first launched this initiative in June 2018, and he and his cabinet visited all 14 counties over the following 10 months. Capital for a Day gives local constituents, municipal government leaders and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with state leadership and staff.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (VT-NDCAP) will hold its final regular meeting of 2025 on Monday evening, December 8, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 8:45 PM.  In addition to receiving updates from NorthStar and Vermont State Agencies regarding recent Vermont Yankee (VY) decommissioning activities, the Panel will also hear a report on recent activities from its Federal Nuclear Waste Policy Committee.  The Committee expects to discuss possible actions following its recent meeting with representatives of the San Onofre Decommissioning Citizens Engagement Panel. 

Vermont Business Magazine The first important deadline for Vermont’s Open Enrollment period is coming soon: Vermonters enrolling through Vermont Health Connect must enroll by December 15 for coverage to begin on January 1, 2026. Open Enrollment for Vermont’s health insurance marketplace began on November 1. During Open Enrollment, Vermonters can sign up for or change their qualified health and dental plans for 2026. Open Enrollment continues until January 15, 2026, but coverage will begin February 1 for enrollees signing up after December 15. It’s important to sign up now, before the December 15 deadline, to have coverage for all of 2026. Financial assistance is available for most Vermonters enrolled though Vermont Health Connect. While federal assistance is decreasing, many Vermonters can still see significant savings.