Current News

Vermont Business Magazine October is employee ownership month. Employee-owned Vermont businesses will join forces for a second year in a row to raise funds for The Vermont Food Bank, which helps provide nutritious food to Vermonters in need. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Peck Company Holdings, Inc (NasdaqCM:PECK), a leading commercial solar engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) company based in South Burlington, announced Tuesday that it has engaged two complementary financing strategies to support its planned growth.

Peck has entered into agreements with NBT Bank, N.A. with branches in Vermont (NasdaqGS:NBTB), which will provide a short-term working capital line of credit and construction loans while also re-financing long-term debt on company-owned solar arrays.

Peck has also entered into a common stock purchase agreement and registration rights agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC, a Chicago-based institutional investor, pursuant to which the company has the right, in its sole discretion, to sell to LPC up to $15 million worth of shares over a 24-month period.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the State of Vermont received a decision from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in response to the state’s September 4, 2018 administrative appeal. The decision upholds the July 3, 2018, Notice of Termination.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Education Child Nutrition Programs announced today its policy for free or reduced-price meals for children served under the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), the School Breakfast Program (SBP), the NSLP Afterschool Snack Service, and the Child and Adult Care Food Program. The income guidelines are effective from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. The following household size and income guidelines will be used to determine eligibility:

Free Meals Income Eligibility Guidelines

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort has announced the entertainment lineup for the Homelight Killington Cup. Taking place November 29-December 1, the World Cup will once again bring the best women’s technical alpine skiers in the world together with engaging music concerts, movie screenings and more. Killington will host free concerts throughout the weekend featuring Grace Potter, Recycled Percussion, Twiddle and DJ Logic. Headliner, Grace Potter, and Sunday’s act, Twiddle, both hail from the Green Mountain state. 

Vermont Business Magazine Fenwick Brands, a private equity fund focused on providing capital and strategic guidance to emerging brands, has led a $5 million growth financing round for Ursa Major, a pioneer brand in the clean skincare market. Other investors in the financing include Finn Capital Partners and several family offices active in the personal care market. This is the Company's first round of institutional capital.

Ursa Major, a pioneer brand in the clean skincare market, raises $5 million in growth equity financing led by Fenwick Brands.

Vermont Business Magazine Bill Orleans, president of PP&D Brochure Distribution, has announced the hiring of Amanda Brooks as the new manager of the PP&D Call Center and Fulfillment Program. She was recently employed by Gardener’s Supply Company and is a graduate of St Lawrence University. Recently operated by Maxham Warehousing of Worcester, Vermont, PP&D assumed this state contract last year at that site. They have now moved this program to their Pine Street Burlington location.

Current clients include 1-800-Vermont - Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, Vermont Historic Sites, and Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Amanda Brooks

Vermont Business Magazine Just in time for the 2019/20 ski season, POWDR, an adventure lifestyle company, today announced the beginning of a Woodward movement across its mountain resorts, including Killington Vermont, which will reimagine the way snow sports enthusiasts experience on-mountain adventure. With something for everybody, from first-timers to pros, Woodward Mountain Parks will reinvent the ski and ride experience. The Killington park will focus on getting new skiers on the mountain.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovan announced today that Dermot Hanna, 59, of Rutland, Vermont, was arraigned on September 30, 2019, on two counts of Abuse of a Vulnerable Adult and two counts of Obtaining a Regulated Drug by Deceit in Vermont Criminal Court, Rutland Division. Judge David Fenster presided.

According to papers filed with the Court, Mr. Hanna was employed as a Registered Nurse at Mountain View Nursing Home when he diverted controlled substances from an 85-year-old patient in his care. In addition, Mr. Hanna gave the same patient Haldol and Seroquel, which the patient was not prescribed. His actions could have reasonably caused the patient unnecessary pain and unnecessary suffering.

Vermont Association of Hospitals and Health Systems Before taking a seat onstage opposite Sister Carol Keehan, member of the Daughters of Charity order that launched early hospitals, orphanages and schools, VAHHS CEO Jeff Tieman described how working for the poor and vulnerable drove Sister Carol every day.

Vermont Business Magazine Junior League of Champlain Valley (JLCV) has received a $10,000 grant from the MassMutual Foundation as part of a national Community Service Award (CSA) program. JLCV is one of thirty-two organizations nationally to receive an award. The MassMutual Foundation made the grant as a tribute to the volunteer efforts of Rebecca Monty, a MassMutual agent and a managing partner of Professional Financial Associates in Colchester.   

Vermont Business Magazine For the third year, KeyBank was recognized by the National Organization on Disability (NOD) as a Leading Disability Employer. NOD announced the award on September 26. The National Organization on Disability (NOD) today announced fifty-nine organizations that have been named 2019 NOD Leading Disability Employers. Now in its fourth year, the NOD Leading Disability Employer seal recognizes companies that demonstrate exemplary employment practices for people with disabilities. This annual recognition is designed to commend those organizations that are leading the way in disability hiring and to encourage additional companies to tap into the many benefits of hiring talent with disabilities, including strong consumer preference for companies that employ individuals with disabilities and greater employee engagement across the workforce.