Current News

Vermont Business Magazine GURU MEDIA SOLUTIONS, a full-service marketing and creative agency with offices in Sausalito, CA, and Burlington, VT, announced its two-year Agency of Record (AOR) partnership with NALGENE OUTDOOR, one of the world's most iconic and successful makers of reusable water bottles. This is the first major signing by GURU's East Coast office since opening late last year.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Miro Weinberger announced several new, upcoming opportunities for free, walk-in vaccinations across the City, even as Chittenden County becomes the first county in the State of Vermont to reach the governor’s goal of 80 percent of the eligible population vaccinated. These clinics which open Saturday will use the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50 years of construction experience for solar, electrical and data services, has announced results for the first quarter of 2021 and provided an update to its full year 2021 outlook. For the first quarter 2021, iSun reported a net loss of $3.1 million, or ($0.41) per share, compared to a net loss of $0.8 million, or ($0.15) per share, in first quarter 2020.

The Vermont Department of Labor is aware of fraudulent communications sent by text and email that state: ‘We noticed an error with your Unemployment Claim,’ and prompt the recipient to ‘Review your Claim’. Links in these fraudulent communications lead to a fraudulent website that appears similar the Online Claimant Portal.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s progress toward the 80% vaccination goal can now be found at Vermont.gov/Vermont-forward. Governor Phil Scott announced last week that COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted once 80% of the eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine. Based on CDC data, Vermont stands at 77.2 percent. The VDH is reporting today 26 new cases of COVID-19 and no deaths, which are holding at 255 for more than a week.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) on Wednesday announced that the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act, which today passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee, will include nearly $1.4 billion for Vermont’s roads, bridges, and transit systems. The bill, which authorizes federal spending on transportation for the next five years, increases funding for Vermont by 21% in year one and by 31% over the life of the bill. Vermont will receive additional funding from a provision ensuring all states obtain some competitive grant dollars from the Bridge Investment Program.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermonters are invited to comment on the future of broadband expansion in Vermont. The Vermont Department of Public Service will hold public hearings on the public comments draft of the 10-year Telecommunications Plan on Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m. and June 1 at 6 p.m. The Department is also soliciting written feedback from the public on this draft of the plan until June 5.

The Final Draft Plan will be issued June 1 and the Department will hold additional public hearings on that draft. Members of the public will be encouraged to provide comments on the Final Draft through the month of June. The Final Adopted Plan will be released June 30. This is Vermonters’ opportunity to provide feedback on the state’s strategies for broadband rollout and other telecommunications matters.

Vermont Business Magazine M&T Bank Corporation, based in Buffalo, and People's United Financial, Inc, based in Bridgewater, CT, jointly announced today that, at their respective special meetings of shareholders yesterday, they each received the necessary shareholder approvals for the consummation of the merger of People's United into M&T. Based on stock prices when the deal was announced in February 2021, the all-stock acquisition is valued at approximately $7.6 billion. People's acquired Burlington-based Chittenden Corp in 2008 for $1.8 billion. People's United Bank has branches across Vermont.

And the Opportunities They Present

Vermont Business Magazine Achieving Vermont’s climate commitments is not only possible—it is also an opportunity to make energy less expensive for Vermont households and businesses while creating jobs for Vermonters. That’s one of the key findings of the latest Annual Progress Report for Vermont, released Tuesday by the non-profit Energy Action Network (EAN). Vermont is halfway to achieving its first greenhouse gas emissions reduction requirement of 26% below 2005 levels by 2025, with 2018 emissions 13% below those of 2005. However, Vermont is only at the starting line for the requirement to be 40% below 1990 emissions by 2030.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan today announced that his office has reached settlements with nine different online sellers of electronic cigarettes for violations of Vermont’s Delivery Sales Ban and Vermont’s Consumer Protection Act. Under the settlements, the companies resolved claims that they sold electronic cigarettes, e-liquids, or other tobacco paraphernalia to individual consumers. As of July 1, 2019, it is illegal to sell electronic cigarettes and related “vaping” products over the internet to individual Vermont consumers. In total, the companies will pay $157,500 in civil penalties to the State of Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine John Tunnicliffe, King Arthur Baking Company’s Director will serve as keynote speaker at the Vermont Specialty Food Association’s 2021 virtual Spring Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 9th. VSFA members will convene virtually from 1:00pm to 3:30pm to learn from experts on managing production costs and selling on Instagram stories. This yearly event, typically drawing over 100 participants in person, is part of the association's ongoing effort to harness and develop educational resources for specialty food and beverage producers, retailers, and the small business community.

by Betsy Bishop, President of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, and Charles Martin, Government Affairs Director of the Vermont Chamber of Commerce At the start of the pandemic last year, it became clear that along with significant challenges posed, there were new opportunities to reevaluate Vermont’s needs and invest in our future. The Vermont Chamber identified specific critical needs for working Vermonters in child care, broadband, and housing. During the past legislative session, we saw substantial investment in these areas through a child care bill, $150 million allocated for broadband expansion, and $190 million allocated for housing.