Current News

Vermont Business Magazine St Michael’s Defense LLC in St Johnsbury, veteran-owned and operated by Christopher Haggett and Kenny Timson, has acquired 802traders LLC/Sirearms manufacturing owned by Shawn Straffin. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Vermont Business Magazine With regal marches and a hefty mace, a presidential medallion and the bright silks of regalia, all of the traditions of the academy, the University of Vermont formally installed Suresh Garimella as its 27th president on Thursday afternoon. Bagpipes and several speeches welcomed the new president, who took over the job from Tom Sullivan officially July 1. While Sullivan's seven-year tenure was marked by a $581 million fundraising campaign, expansion of the STEM program, business school and athletic facilities, Garimella has said often that the next crucial step in the university's growth will center on the individual student experience. He noted that this incoming class is the most academically qualified in the school's history, as were the four before it.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of their ongoing celebration of the Cabot Creamery Cooperative’s 100th year, more than 20 Cooperative member farms from across New England and Upstate New York will open their doors and welcome the public to visit their cows, learn about the farms and the people who work them, and give the community a chance to taste some of the World’s Best Cheddar. Fairmont Farm in East Montpelier, UVM Cream in Burlington, Foster Brothers Farm in Middlebury and Rupert Valley Holsteins in West Rupert will all be participating in Cabot’s Open Farm Sunday event.

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department invites Burlingtonians and other interested stakeholders to participate in the third annual Home Energy Tour on Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 10am to 1pm, featuring five energy efficient Burlington homes. This self-guided tour will offer inspiration on how to reduce home heating and cooling costs, while living comfortably, and give tour participants an opportunity to learn from Burlington home owners who are using solar, heat pump technology, and in-home energy devices plus weatherization to keep their homes warm in winter and cool in summer.

Vermont Business Magazine Dozens of the biggest and fastest-growing tech companies in Vermont will be hiring at the 13th Vermont Tech Jam. This annual free career and tech expo produced by Seven Days is on Thursday, October 17 from 9 am to 5 pm at the Champlain Valley Expo in Essex Junction. It’s one of the few times all of these companies come together under one roof to talk with job seekers and students and to discuss the innovative work they do.

Vermont Business Magazine In response to recent crashes in the work zone between Exits 16 and 17 on Interstate 89, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) has added safety enhancements following a safety audit conducted this week in partnership with Vermont State Police (VSP).

“Safety is always a top priority, and our highway division experts were able to identify additional measures to improve safety in the Colchester work zone,” said Transportation Secretary Joe Flynn. “We appreciate the support and input from Vermont State Police to work together with a common goal of reducing crashes.”

Vermont Business Magazine A coalition of weatherization advocates gathered at the Aldrich Public Library in Barre Wednesday to publicly launch this year’s Button Up Vermont campaign, urging Vermonters to take steps to prepare their homes for winter to save money, increase comfort, and cut carbon.

Vermont Business Magazine Small Dog Electronics has opened their doors at Flynn Avenue & Pine Street (316 Flynn Avenue). The grand opening is planned for later this month, but the store is open now.

Vermont Business Magazine Windham Grows Farm Business Accelerator is seeking farmer-entrepreneurs who are interested in individualized farm-business value-added scale-up plans that will include mentoring, in-kind resources, physical space, educational experience and technical expertise. By giving farmer-entrepreneurs the resources needed for high-value  management skills, this project will help farmer-entrepreneurs build dynamic new farm businesses while leveraging one of Vermont’s most valuable assets—land. Based on past success and the tremendous interest throughout Vermont, Windham Grows is excited to expand services to farmers state-wide.

 “From the many farmers who have contacted Windham Grows, we learned that they have specific needs that are different from value-added food businesses,” said Orly Munzing, Strolling of the Heifers Founder. “Therefore, we have created a specialized program for farmers.”

Vermont Business Magazine State Agriculture and Health officials announced that the Asian Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has been identified for the first time in Vermont. This normally tropical/subtropical species is a known disease vector for Zika, chikungunya and dengue viruses, infecting humans in countries where these diseases are present. The mosquitoes found in Vermont do not currently carry these viruses.

Vermont Business Magazine Castleton University has received a $2.25 million Title III grant from the US Department of Education, under the Strengthening Institutions Program. The funds, awarded over five years, will support new initiatives designed to improve student success, address student needs, and bolster the University's persistence and completion rates. The University will focus on developing a digital learning commons, providing additional resources for institutional research, upgrades to classroom technology and infrastructure, and more.

"I am incredibly proud of the hardworking team that completed this successful proposal, and I am excited for the opportunities this grant will provide for us to better engage our students and ensure that they have the resources they need to complete their degree," Castleton President Dr. Karen M. Scolforo said.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of Kim Greenwood as deputy commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC).