Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, PR News announced that Vermont-based public relations firm, Junapr, is named one of the most innovative PR and communications firms in the US. PR News is the leading source of information, education, recognition, and data for Fortune 1000 professionals, agencies, and government/non-profits. Junapr was awarded the 2022 Agency Elite Top 100 award at a virtual ceremony this afternoon. Additionally, in July, PR News named Junapr founder Nicole Junas Ravlin as one of the Top Women in PR for 2021.

Just 104 women across the country were honored. They were celebrated as the best in the PR industry at a virtual gala on July 28. Junas Ravlin was specifically recognized for her entrepreneurship.

Vermont Business Magazine The foundation of Vermont Adaptive’s new $2.5 million adaptive sports facility at Sugarbush Resort’s Mt Ellen is in, and the first walls are installed, setting the stage for an anticipated grand opening of this state-of-the-art facility for the Winter 2021-2022 ski and snowboard season. The organization still has about $400,000 left to raise for the Sugarbush project.

Vermont Business Magazine For nearly two decades the Vermont Brewers Association has been running their brewery passport challenge and it continues to be a great tool guiding beer lovers to breweries across the state of Vermont. The idea is simple, pick up a passport at any brewery, ask for a stamp after visiting, continue on to your next brewery and turn it in for prizes in the end. It’s such a popular tool that other brewers’ associations around the country have replicated this program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Town of Dover wants you to launch your business here. You can submit your business plan entry to the Dover Launch business plan competition now. One final winner will receive $20,000 to launch their business. With several commercial spaces currently available, the Town of Dover hopes to find a winning business idea to fill both the needs of our community and an open storefront. First round entries are accepted until September 17 where five applicants will be selected to move on to the second round.

Vermont Business Magazine Health Care and Rehabilitation Services (HCRS), southeastern Vermont’s non-profit community mental-health agency, announced today a successful collaboration that is supporting young adults in Springfield. HCRS and the Springfield Housing Authority have partnered with Windsor County Youth Services, Easter Seals, Springfield Supportive Housing, and the Vermont Agency of Human Services to create a unique transitional living program for young adults ages 18-24.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems President and CEO Jeff Tieman today issued a warning about the ongoing pandemic response, workforce shortages and increased patient care needs as the Green Mountain Care Board began its annual hospital budget hearings. VAHHS lobbies on behalf of the hospitals. Tieman is advocating for the regulators to support hospitals budget requests. Typically the GMCB would trim, to a greater or lesser extent, the requests made by the hospitals. Tieman said the hospitals have been under tremendous workload and cost pressures since the beginning of COVID and are more recently dealing with an increase in inflation in the general economy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce unveiled the newest edition of The Shires of Vermont Travel Guide on Friday, August 13th. The travel guide, a staple of the Chamber’s tourism efforts, is updated yearly and distributed throughout the Northeast as a way to showcase the region’s various tourist attractions. Traditionally, the travel guide is produced each spring and hits distribution points by Memorial Day weekend. This year, due to the pandemic, the travel guide was delayed until the fall.

Vermont Business Magazine Senate Appropriations Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) today joined Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in a bipartisan letter signed by 46 senators to urge the Biden administration to take swift action to protect and support Afghan women leaders facing unparalleled danger following the Taliban’s violent sweep across Afghanistan and seizure of Kabul.

Vermont Business Magazine Bar Harbor Bank & Trust recently presented donations totaling more than $9,600 to five Northern New England nonprofit organizations from its employee-driven charitable giving program, Casual for A Cause. The recipients of the contributions collected in Q2 2021 are: Boots2Roots, Chandler Center for the Arts, NextStep Domestic Violence Project, Paramount Theatre, and West Central Behavior Health.

“While the nonprofit organizations Bar Harbor Bank & Trust employees selected in Q2 2021 are diverse in the services they provide, they are unified in a common goal and that’s to improve the quality of life in our communities,” said Jack Frost, VP Director of Community Giving at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust. “We are honored to support them and the invaluable services they provide.”

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy company based in South Burlington, today announced results for the second quarter of 2021 and provided an update to its full year 2021 outlook. iSun reported second quarter 2021 revenue of $4.3 million representing a 57% increase over the same period in the prior year. Year to date 2021 revenue was $11.6 million, representing a 71% increase over the same period in the prior year. Gross profit in the second quarter was a negative $0.6 million compared to breakeven during the second quarter in the prior year. Year to date gross profit was a negative $0.5 million compared to $0.3 million during the same period in the prior year.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is reminding customers that $55 million in free grant money is available for a limited time to help renters, homeowners, businesses and farms get caught up on overdue utility bills tied to the pandemic. Customers can apply for grants through the Vermont Department of Public Service through October 25, and qualified customers can use the money to pay past-due landline phone, electric, natural gas and water service bills. Up to $10,000 is available for residential customers, up to $50,000 is available for businesses, and a grant program specifically for Vermonters who rent their homes can help pay rent as well as utilities.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Medical Matters Weekly with Dr. Trey Dobson—a weekly interactive, multiplatform medical-themed talk show—will feature Patricia Johnson, RN, and Caitlin Tilley, RN, on its August 18 program. The show will air at 12 p.m. The nurses will discuss their work to improve health equity for black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities.

The show is produced with cooperation from Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV). Viewers can see Medical Matters Weekly on Facebook at facebook.com/svmedicalcenter and facebook.com/CATTVBennington. The show is also available to view or download a podcast on www.svhealthcare.org/medicalmatters.