Current News

Vermont Business Magazine A new record was set for Vermont cheeses at the prestigious American Cheese Society’s 36^th Annual Awards competition (ACS) in Richmond, Virginia. Vermont producers, big and small, collectively took home 44 ribbons, marking Vermont’s best showing to date. Additionally, five Vermont cheeses were finalists for the Best of Show.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont has awarded SPARK-VT grants of $50,000 to three faculty research teams to help them commercialize their work and move it a step closer to the marketplace.

Vermont Business Magazine Liquid Measurement Systems, Inc (LMS: Georgia, Vermont) has begun work on an improved fuel measurement and indication system for Viking Air Limited’s Canadair CL-215T and CL-415 Aerial Firefighter Fleet. The CL-215T and CL-415 are amphibious turboprop planes specifically designed to provide aerial support for firefighting missions. Known as the Water Bomber, the aircraft is able to scoop water rapidly into its belly (up to 1,600 gallons in 12 seconds) from a natural water source near a forest fire, and drop it on the fire without having to return to a remote water station for refilling. This makes the CL-215T and CL-415 extremely efficient at delivering water to forest fires, when time and resources are of the essence.

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington Redevelopment Group (BRG) on Wednesday, August 7, 2019, will hold a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the start of construction on the $31 million revitalization of Phase I of the historic Putnam Block in downtown Bennington. Phase I will transform three historic buildings at the Four Corners in Bennington into a vibrant urban hub. Vermont Governor Phil Scott, Congressman Peter Welch, project funders, investors, and supporters, among many others, are expected to attend the event. The groundbreaking celebration will take place at 10:30 am in the large tent next to the Oldcastle Theatre at 331 Main Street.

by Elizabeth Fitzgerald Vermonters recognize that one of our most important public responsibilities is the education of our children. Not only is it a moral and legal imperative, but it is also critical for the economic future of our state. Providing a high-quality education for Vermont children means that we must make sure that those who choose to work in our schools are fairly compensated for the work they do. A large and growing share of that compensation is the high quality, generous health insurance that is provided by school districts to teachers and other education employees.

As is the case for many Vermont employers, health insurance and other benefits can help attract, recruit and retain a committed, high quality workforce. Yet the state, just like all businesses and households, must live and work within our means. In order for health insurance benefits to remain high quality and generous they must also be affordable for the taxpayer. 

Vermont Business Magazine Seventh Generation, based in Burlington, has announced its goal to replace every single toxic nap mat in childcare centers throughout the state of Vermont over the next five years. There are approximately 15,000 children ages 2-5 in early childhood education environments such as preschool and daycare in Vermont. These young children, who breathe more air, drink more water, and eat more food pound for pound than adults do, are more susceptible to chemical toxins.

Vermont Business Magazine The Grants and Loans Committee of The Episcopal Church in Vermont is pleased to announce the approval of nearly $18,000 in grants during the first half of 2019. Grant recipients were selected from among Episcopal congregations and diocesan entities in Vermont, as well as other ministries with a strong association with the diocese. Projects were funded in part based on their positive impact on local mission.

by Rob Roper Bernie Sanders’ rhetoric on the $15 minimum wage – rhetoric echoed by many politicians here in Vermont – just suffered a violent collision with economic reality. For those who may have missed the story, Sanders pays his field staff minimum salaries of $36,000 a year, which would amount to slightly over $15 an hour for a forty hour work week. However, political campaigns are 24/7 operations, and staff members are putting in sixty hours a week or more, thus reducing their hourly wage to less than $15 an hour with no overtime. The staff is crying foul.

Vermont Business Magazine Dealer.com, the Burlington-based digital marketing solution and partner for auto dealerships, understands the consumer's car buying process has changed dramatically as technology disrupts the industry. As such, Dealer.com recently launched its new premier digital storefront solution designed for dealers to engage customers in the fastest and most effective manner possible. The solution increases transparency and improves trust between the dealer and customer to ultimately drive engagement, deliver stronger leads and increase sales.

"We understand what motivates customers and how they connect with dealers," said Wayne Pastore, general manager of Dealer.com. "The way to bolster dealer-customer relationships is to establish strong points of interaction between dealers and consumers through an unrivaled combination of data, integration and human-centric insights."

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington-based weekly newspaper Seven Days won four first-place awards at the annual Association of Alternative Newsmedia conference last month in Boulder, Colorado. The AAN Awards recognize the most artful, compelling and courageous journalism produced each year by the alternative newsmedia. AAN member publications vary in size and circulation, and are based in cities across the U.S. and Canada; the awards contest gives these publications the opportunity to compete against their peers. This year’s competition consisted of 600 entries submitted by 55 publications in the U.S. and Canada; the University of Colorado Boulder’s department of journalism conducted the judging.

Seven Days’ awards included:

Vermont Business Magazine For the eighth year in a row, New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) has won the Seven Days “DAYSIE” award for “Best Bank/Credit Union” in Vermont by the readers of Seven Days, Vermont’s award-winning weekly newspaper. In addition, this year, for the sixth year in a row, Seven Days readers voted NEFCU the “Best Mortgage Broker.”

Vermont Business Magazine Below is a letter which Spring Hill Water, based in Haverhill, MA, sent to its customers today after making the decision to close the business earlier this week.  Also below are the test results which show that Spring Hill Water is clear; PFAS was not detected. Despite these test results, which were expected, "this whole ordeal has been too much for a small, fourth generation family business and the owners are steadfast in their decision to close it.” Spring Hill bottled water had been distributed across New England, including Vermont.