Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The DeltaClimeVT climate economy business accelerator seeks entrepreneurs for the Energy 2021 program. Startup ventures that focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy-related products or services for residential and small business customers must submit applications for Energy 2021 by February 19, 2021. Selection will focus on companies that are entering or currently at a pilot or demonstration stage and planning for scale.

Governor Phil Scott on Wednesday issued the following statement: “This is a very disturbing time for our nation. What we are seeing today at the U.S. Capitol is not a peaceful protest – it is an unacceptable attack on our democracy. The rioters have actively assaulted police officers, and they should immediately evacuate the Capitol building or be removed. Make no mistake, the President of the United States is responsible for this event..."

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health reported today that there were 106 new cases of COVID-19 and three more deaths. The VDH also said that you can spread the COVID-19 virus to others two days before you notice any symptoms, or even if you never develop symptoms. Our timelines can help determine when you might have been infectious, or when someone you were exposed to might have been infectious — the time when the virus can spread to others.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine US Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) just concluded a telephone press conference (Wednesday 4:30 pm) in which he described the chaotic scene inside the Capitol, clear to those events on the news programs. He said he was safe and removed to a secure location. There are protocols for such an event, he said. He also said this is a perilous time for democracy in the United States and that, though he admitted it would be unlikely, that President Trump should be removed immediately for inciting this riot.

"This is a time of great peril for our democracy," Welch said.

Welch said he was in the chamber at the time and said the Capitol Police first whisked Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer from the floor. There were only a couple dozen representatives in the chamber at the time.

Vermont Business Magazine Jim Brown, President of The Bank of Bennington, announced this week that the Bank completed its 2020 annual giving to community food cupboards and fuel funds before the end of the year. In 2020, The Bank of Bennington donated nearly $22,000 to more than 20 area organizations in 11 towns.

Primarily supporting the good work of food cupboards and heating assistance programs, these November and December donations help low income Vermonters during the holidays and beyond into winter. President Brown said, “We are a community bank. Our corporate structure as a mutual bank means we don’t have any shareholders, and our dedication is to our customers. We believe these donations make a real difference throughout the entire community, customers and non-customers alike, especially in this most difficult year.”

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC), part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), will conduct a digital information session regarding the COVID-19 vaccine at 1 pm on Thursday, January 7. The event is made possible with cooperation from CAT-TV and the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce. The session will feature SVMC’s Chief Medical Officer Trey Dobson, MD. The Chamber’s Executive Director Matthew Harrington will moderate.

Vermont Business Magazine As Vermont enters the fourth week of administering COVID-19 vaccinations, the University of Vermont Medical Center continues to follow the federal government and State of Vermont plan to vaccinate health care workers identified for the first phase. The plan first called for Vermont hospitals to prioritize their providers and staff, EMS and Home Health & Hospice. This week marks an even greater shift to community-based providers, those not employed by hospitals. UVMMC has already vaccinated more than 6,000 people with about a third – or 2,000 – being community providers. UVMMC also has begun administering the second vaccine dose to those who have already received an initial Pfizer-BioNTech dose. Second doses of the Moderna vaccine will also be administered in the coming weeks.

Vermont Business Magazine The Peck Company Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: PECK), a leading commercial solar engineering, procurement and construction company based in South Burlington and Burlington-based iSun Energy LLC, a provider of innovative solar power, electric mobility and smart city solutions for government, commercial, retail, academic and data-center projects, announced Wednesday that they have entered into a binding term sheet under which Peck will acquire iSun in an all-stock transaction. Peck will change its name to iSun Energy and trade on Nasdaq under the ticker “ISUN” upon closing.

Vermont Business Magazine VBM is proud to announce a special monthly Business Forum with top business minds and thought leaders to give insight to businesspeople in Vermont during these unprecedented times. The upcoming year will hold many challenges for Vermont businesses so to help you through these troubling times, we are giving you free access to successful executives, leaders, and experts.

Vermont Business Magazine ­Burlington-based North Star Leasing announces that 2020 was a record-setting year in the 41-year history of the equipment leasing company, with all-time highs set in annual, quarterly, and monthly funding. Buoyed by a $10 million December – the company's top funding month ever – North Star Leasing closed the year on a remarkable run, exceeding 2019 funding levels, it’s prior annual high-funding level. Additionally, total funding in Q4 ‘20 set a record, while North Star Leasing processed over 6,600 applications totaling $236 million during the year.

Agency of Commerce & Community Development will host a webinar for Vermont businesses regarding updates to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) on Wednesday, January 6th at 3 pm. The Agency’s leadership team will be joined by the Vermont Department of Labor, the Vermont Bankers Association (VBA), the Small Business Administration (SBA) Vermont District Office and Thomas Lauzon, CPA to help businesses navigate and understand the updates to these programs.

Vermont Business Magazine While it’s still too early to know how the recent holidays impacted COVID-19 cases in Vermont, Health Commissioner Mark Levine MD said at Tuesday’s press conference that Vermonters can still protect one another by getting tested. This message comes on a day when the VDH reported a spike in case counts, which have surpassed 8,000, and five more deaths for a statewide total of 149. The post holiday numbers will still take another week or so to fully play out. Meanwhile, the vaccine rollout has frustrated government officials as it has Vermonters. The federal government has not met its original distribution goals in Vermont or elsewhere.