Current News

by C.B. Hall, Vermont Business Magazine While granola-making in Vermont may have its origins in the funky kitchens of the back-to-the-land era, there's nothing funky about Small Batch Organics, which makes this now-established legacy of the New Age's early days in a gleaming production facility on the outskirts of Manchester. Stainless-steel equipment that all but breathes efficiency stretch across the 5,000-square-foot production hall, while workers busy about their tasks in white smocks and hairnets.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Creamery won big in the other dairy state this week, taking home three awards and two coveted Best-in-Class titles at the World Championship Cheese Contest held biannually in Madison, Wisconsin on March 5. Herb Goat Cheese, a fresh goat cheese log rolled in rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme and Vanilla Crème Fraiche, a rich, cultured cream laced with Madagascar vanilla, both won Best-in-Class in their categories. Coupole, a dense and flavorful dome-shaped aged goat cheese took home second place in its category.

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced today that John and Amy Saar were fined $6,750 for clearing trees and placing fill within a wetland and its 50-ft buffer on their property on Harbor Road in Shelburne. Although they ceased construction activities after DEC notified the Saars of the permitting requirements, they did not get a wetland permit, remediate the impact, or restore the property. They sold the property in January 2020.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims, which had shown a steady decline since the beginning of the year, moved up again for the third consecutive. Initial claims for the week of February 29, 2020, were 863, up 253, to the highest level this year. Claims were 18 more than they were at this time last year.

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella today announced the appointment of Kirk Dombrowski as vice president for research. Dombrowski will report directly to Garimella and will be a member of the president’s senior team. Dombrowski comes to UVM from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), where he was associate dean for research and partnerships in the College of Arts and Sciences and John Bruhn Professor of Sociology. UNL’s College of Arts and Sciences has 400 tenure-track faculty and 1,000 doctoral students.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Health is asking Vermonters to follow new travel guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The department is requesting that people who return from certain countries affected by the new coronavirus stay home for 14 days to help limit spread of the disease. The CDC guidance affects travelers returning from countries with a Level 3 Travel Health Notice: currently Italy, Iran, South Korea and China. It only applies to travelers whose last day in those countries was March 4, 2020 or afterward.

Vermont Business Magazine This new innovation from Jeremy and Ron Elliott starts with our award-winning rum, but in this new spirit, rum is aged for a total of seven years—first in oak for three years, then in bourbon barrels for two years, and finished for another two in our own organic maple syrup barrels. The result is an incredibly easy-drinking and smooth amber spirit with a seamless flavor profile of complex whiskey overtones and the perfect amount of naturally-infused sweetness.

Vermont Business Magazine Hula, a collaborative innovation campus on the shores of Lake Champlain, went live with a key sustainability initiative in February—a rooftop solar installation providing campus-wide power and sending local renewable energy back into the Burlington electrical grid. Hula worked with nearby SunCommon to install a pair of 500-kilowatt solar arrays on two newly renovated buildings, a ‘net positive’ effort that is one of many sustainability measures built into the 14-acre lakeside campus and business accelerator in the south end of Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine The Efficiency Excellence Network (EEN) is made up of a network of independent contractors, designers, architects, engineers, lighting designers, and other professionals who partner with Efficiency Vermont to deliver the highest level of energy efficiency services directly to Vermont residents and businesses. Over 200 Efficiency Excellence Network member contractors and professionals help thousands of Vermonters save energy and money.

Vermont Business Magazine Many of the qualities that make the Publyk House Restaurant such a beautiful place to dine are the ones that made the establishment an energy nightmare. The old horse barn, repurposed as a restaurant, was largely uninsulated. It presented all the challenges one might imagine come with converting a horse barn to a modern, fine-dining venue; from lighting, to ventilation, to insulation, heat, and hot water. Steven and Lauren Bryant, husband-and-wife proprietors of several local establishments, were up to the challenge.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos will be holding the Canvass for the Vermont 2020 Presidential Primary elections at the Secretary of State’s office, 128 State Street in Montpelier, on Tuesday, March 10. The canvass begins at 10 am. Secretary Condos, along with the three major party (Democratic, Republican and Progressive) Chairs, or their designees, will be certifying vote totals and winners for the Democratic and Republican Presidential Primaries.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch voted Wednesday night in support of bipartisan legislation (H.R. 6074) to provide $8.3 billion in emergency funding to address the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.