Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Started in Barre, Vermont in 1947, Wilkins Harley-Davidson has purchased the assets of Green Mountain Harley-Davidson in Essex Junction, Vermont expanding its operation into Chittenden County and beyond.
Owners Barbara Wilkins, Ann Lyon, and John Lyon represent three generations of family operated business. The dealership has grown several times over the years but this is a major step for the family.

Vermont Business Magazine President Trump formally notified the United Nations that the United States is withdrawing from the Paris Agreement on climate change – an agreement that the United States played an instrumental role in negotiating.

This decision is nothing more than the fulfillment of a cynical and reckless campaign promise made for the sole purpose of currying favor with the fossil fuel industry.  It comes in the wake of the latest National Climate Assessment, by our country’s top scientists, which was unequivocal:  Climate change already affects every sector and region of our country, threatening millions of Americans’ health, homes and livelihoods.

Vermont Business Magazine As the Thanksgiving holiday season approaches, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) and the Vermont Fresh Network (VFN) wish to remind those planning for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner that Vermont’s local turkey farms are ready to help. The time to order your local bird is now! 

Vermont is home to more than a dozen turkey farms across the state, raising and producing local turkeys ready just in time for Thanksgiving and the holiday season.  According to the National Turkey Federation, nearly 88 percent of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving. The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 16 pounds, meaning that approximately 736 million pounds of turkey were consumed in the United States during Thanksgiving in 2016.  In Vermont, nearly 48,000 turkeys and chickens were produced in 2016. 

Vermont Business Magazine The New Hampshire / Vermont region of the American Red Cross has now closed both of the shelters we opened in Newport and St. Albans for people who found themselves displaced by power outages and flooding.

Vermont Business Magazine In advance of the 40^th anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis, U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing today, Monday, Nov. 4, 2019, as a national day of remembrance.

“The victims of the Iran hostage crisis were treated brutally, and their suffering and sacrifice should be remembered,” said Isakson. “Similarly, this resolution and our continued efforts on behalf of the victims are an important statement that once an American serves our country, we will be there for you no matter how long it takes to secure justice. On the anniversary of their capture, we pay tribute to these brave Americans who were held hostage in Iran during service to the United States.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC) is a recipient of a 2019 National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) Impact Award for its work in supporting the economic prosperity and interdisciplinary connections for the creative sector in the east central Vermont region. The NADO Impact Awards program honors organizations for their creative approaches to advancing regional community and economic development and improved quality of life.  This project has made a significant impact on our region and demonstrates the diversity of services and program delivery provided by TRORC.

Vermont Business Magazine Skilled workforce shortages plague the construction industry, with October Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing 379,000 vacant jobs in the sector nationally. BLS released the full employment situation for October on Friday, Nov. 1.

Meanwhile, Middlebury-based Bread Loaf Corporation, Construction Manager of Bennington’s ambitious Putnam Block Redevelopment Project—intended to catalyze economic and community development in southern Vermont—has been staying ahead of the curve, leveraging the skilled labor shortage to its advantage.

Photo: Training workers at Putnam Block. Courtesy photo. 

Vermont Business Magazine A combination of world-class snowmaking and favorable temperatures have allowed both Stowe and Okemo to start making snow at higher elevations during the first weekend of November. Sister resort, Mount Sunapee, in New Hampshire, will begin snowmaking soon as well.

Opening day for the 2019/2020 season at all three resorts is approaching quickly. Stowe and Okemo are targeting November 22 as the start of winter operations, while Mount Sunapee is aiming for November 27. All three resorts will commemorate their opening days with “First Chair” celebrations.

Last year, Stowe and Okemo opened for the season in mid-November with top-to-bottom terrain. Efforts are being made to accomplish that again this year.

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investing $1.4 billion in projects in 21 states to build and improve rural electric infrastructure.

“Modern and reliable electric infrastructure has been a cornerstone to rural prosperity since the Rural Electrification Act of 1936,” Secretary Perdue said. “This funding we are providing is critical to rural communities and reflects President Trump’s commitment to increasing prosperity across all of rural America. When rural America thrives, all of America thrives.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Air National Guard will conduct night flight operations from Tuesday, Nov. 5 through Friday, Nov. 22, 2019.

Area residents may see and hear F-35A aircraft taking off and landing from Burlington International Airport during this time. All training operations are scheduled to be completed before 8:00 p.m.

“We fly at night to maintain night tactical proficiency,” said Lt. Col. Anthony Marek, 134th Fighter Squadron Commander. “This is especially important during this time of F-35 transition—we must learn how to employ the tactical advantages gained from the F-35 during both day and night operations.”

158th Fighter Wing pilots and maintenance personnel are required to conduct night operations for Air Force and Major Command proficiencies. The 158th Fighter Wing utilizes the fall and winter months for night operations training when hours of darkness are at their earliest.

Vermont Business Magazine Supported by outside line crews, VEC will have less than 150 members without power come Monday morning. The remaining outages were in the hardest hit areas, and crews will get that power back on as soon as safely possible.

Early Sunday morning, VEC was joined by crews from Corn Belt Energy in Bloomington, Indiana and Clay Electric Cooperative in Flora, Illinois. These line workers and crews from neighboring utilities joined VEC in responding to the significant damage from this wind and rain event. VEC has restored more than 17,000 members since outages started coming in on Halloween evening.

Vermont Business Magazine In an unprecedented show of unity this past weekend the Vermont Republican Party held its reorganizational meeting to elect new officers, and every single office was filled without the need to cast a single ballot - and the women are taking over.

"I don't think I've ever been to an organizational meeting that didn't have at least one contested race," said former State Rep. Paul Dame who was re-elected to his position as an At-large delegate to the Executive Committee.  "It just goes to show that after a tight race two years ago everyone has rallied together and we all realize we're all in the same boat trying to accomplish the same things.  I think the majority of our members are happy with the internal structural changes we are making to gear up for 2020."