Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Vermont University has implemented the first of two 2019 tuition reductions, added programs and introduced a live hybrid model for its popular NVU Online division. The measures address the need for affordability and flexibility with degree and certificate programs and help Vermont advance workforce goals.  

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable (VBR) and Jeffrey Carr, President, Economic & Policy Resources (EPR), announced the Q2 of 2019 outlook results of their joint initiative, the VBR/EPR Business Conditions Survey and Index: More than three-quarters of respondents shared negative outlooks specifically with ease of hiring for available positions; meanwhile, respondents expressed a neutral outlook about the state’s overall business climate, tempering the negative outlook of the previous survey.

Vermont Business Magazine Monday, Governor Phil Scott signed S131, an act relating to the creation of an insurance “regulatory sandbox” that permits the Commissioner of Financial Regulation to grant limited-duration innovation waivers. The waivers are designed to enable companies to offer innovative or more efficient insurance products and services to Vermont consumers. With this legislation, Vermont becomes one of only two states to offer this incentive for insurance innovation.

Vermont Business Magazine Main Street Alliance of Vermont held their fifth anniversary celebration at the Alchemist Brewery on Sunday night where they presented Representative Robin Scheu of Middlebury the 2019 Legislator of the Year Award.

Vermont Business Magazine Mack Molding, a leading custom plastics molder and supplier of contract manufacturing services, announced today its wholly-owned subsidiary, Mack Prototype, is investing in five new Milacron Roboshot all-electric presses.
 

Vermont Business Magazine A LendingTree company, and one of the nation's leading online insurance marketplaces, has released a report compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to see where e-cigarette usage is most prevalent. America's youth could force the hand of insurance companies to create a clear designation on e-cigarette use. In 2018, 3.6 million middle school and high school students reported e-cigarette use. Vermont ranked 49th in the use of e-cigarettes in the QuoteWizard report. Vermont just passed a law raising the tobacco and vaping use age to 21, which will go into effect this summer.

by Janette Bombardier, PE There is a free college tuition program that still is one of the best-kept secrets in Vermont. Did you know that Vermont students interested in STEM careers can go to college AND finish their high school degree at the same time? Tuition free? As I attended the 30th graduation ceremony for the Vermont Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) at Vermont Technical College, I was amazed by the students’ accomplishments and future plans.

Vermont Business Magazine A national security firm has undertaken a new study that found Vermont ranked Number 16 as the best state for women’s rights. Security.org today released the study on The Best and Worst State for Women’s Rights using the most recent data from the US Census Bureau across four key categories: economic freedom, education, health and reproductive freedom, and political participation. Vermont ranked high in education and health, modestly high in economic factors, but low in political success, which ultimately dragged down the state's ranking. The overall rankings generally follow the Red State/Blue State social divide, with Blue States ranking higher in this study.

Vermont Business Magazine Building Bright Futures (BBF) announced today that Dr Morgan Crossman, a native Vermonter from Rutland, has joined the organization as Executive Director. Crossman holds a PhD in Social Policy from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University, specializing in Child, Youth and Family Policy as well as Disability Policy, and a Masters in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College.

Vermont Business Magazine Billie Lynn Allard, MS, RN, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) administrative director of Population Health and Transitions of Care, will receive one of the nursing profession’s highest honors when she is inducted as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) at the Academy’s annual policy conference in Washington, D.C., in October. The AAN is composed of 2,400 of the nation’s top nurse researchers, policy makers, scholars, executives, educators, and practitioners from across the country.

“I am honored to be recognized by my professional nursing colleagues for work developing transitional care and population health programs at SVMC,” Allard said. “I look forward to making continuing contributions to improve health care outcomes for our communities.”

Vermont Business Magazine Monday evening, Governor Phil Scott signed into law the abortion rights bill, as well as several other pieces of legislation passed by the Legislature. But he vetoed the 24-hour gun purchase waiting period bill, S169. The governor had signed gun measures last year and said then and since that he did not envision the need for further gun safety measures. The governor had to act by the end of Monday or the gun bill would have become law without his signature. The Legislature did not schedule a veto session and thus will not have the opportunity to override this or any other veto action taken by Scott until it reconvenes next January.

Vermont Business Magazine Paul Schulick shifted the paradigm on dietary supplements with New Chapter, leveraging his platform to inspire change throughout the industry that all started with New Chapter’s whole food probiotic nutrients integrated with holistic herbal extracts. His commitment to organic and non-GMO certifications blazed a trail for others to follow.