Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Trace, a Vermont company utilizing blockchain technology to track and verify cannabis products, announced today the launch of Trace Exchange. Trace Exchange is the nation’s first blockchain-based platform where hemp cultivators and buyers can connect and track their plants through the supply chain and integrate their inventory directly with the market.

“Until now, there has been no industry standard for hemp cultivators or buyers to verify their plants and products as they change hands,” said Josh Decatur, founder and CEO of Trace. “By using Trace hemp growers can easily track their harvest from soil to shelf and be connected with potential buyers, putting control back in the hands of farmers in an exciting but uncertain market.”

Vermont Business Magazine MVP Health Care today announced that its CEO, Denise Gonick, will leave the company at the end of the summer. MVP is a health insurer serving Upstate New York and Vermont. Gonick’s signature accomplishments as CEO include leading MVP through the difficult political environment surrounding the adoption and subsequent scaling back of the Affordable Care Act. She also spearheaded the acquisition of Hudson Health Plan in 2013, securing MVP’s position as a market leader in upstate New York. Under Gonick’s leadership, MVP's robust expansion was recently noted as it is now ranked as the second largest company based in the Capital Region according to the Albany Business Review.

Vermont Business Magazine Casella Waste Systems, Inc (NASDAQ: CWST), a regional vertically integrated solid waste, recycling and resource management services company based in Rutland, announced today that it has acquired three solid waste businesses with hauling, transfer and recycling operations in Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont. All transactions closed in May 2019. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Casella shares are down about 25 cents (0.81%) early Thursday. They're trading near the top of their 52-week range at $39.36 ($23.50 - $40.01). The broad markets are also down slightly in early trading today.

The company acquired the assets of D & E Rubbish Removal, Inc., the assets of Bin Dump’n Trash, and the stock of Shaftsbury-based TAM, Inc and its wholly owned and related subsidiaries. In total, Casella expects to generate approximately $11.5 million of annualized revenues from these acquisitions. 

Vermont Business Magazine The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced Wednesday that six grantees in the state of Vermont have been selected to receive $2.2 million in EPA Brownfields assessment funding and technical assistance. These funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities around the state in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. Five of the grantees are in southern Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc, (ticker symbol LFGP) the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, with a branch in Norwich, was ranked among the Top 200 publicly traded banks and thrifts under $2 billion in assets in the United States by American Banker Magazine for the fifth consecutive year. The rankings are based on three-year return on average equity (ROAE) for 2016 to 2018. Ledyard Financial Group finished in the 161st position for 2019 with a three-year average ROAE of 9.59%.

Senator Patrick Leahy Mr President, I have seen some dumb policies by Administrations over the years, when both Republicans and Democrats have occupied the White House. I want to speak briefly about one of them. Because it is not just dumb. It is an embarrassment. And it is going to hurt a lot of Americans, and it is going to hurt a lot of good people in Cuba. There is absolutely no denying that.

Vermont Business Magazine The Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program reports a new imposter scam is on the rise. In this scam, the scammer poses as a pastor raising funds to help a needy child or sick person. The scammer requests gift cards be sent to them. Some promise to provide reimbursement for the gift card.

Vermont Business Magazine Windham Grows, a project of Strolling of the Heifers, Inc, is the recipient of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) Innovation and Inspiration Award. Orly Munzing, founder of Strolling of the Heifers, will accept the award at the 18th Annual VBSR Awards Ceremony and Dinner in September. Munzing developed the pioneering Windham Grows Food and Agriculture Business Accelerator. The program is a socially responsible food and agriculture business accelerator that provides a cohort experience and critical services, resources, financing, and business mentors to early-stage food and agriculture businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Howard Center and The University of Vermont Medical Center today is celebrating the unique accomplishments of eight graduates of the Project SEARCH program. Project SEARCH is an international school-to-work transition program for students with disabilities in their final year of high school. The unique business-led program takes place entirely at the workplace. Total workplace immersion facilitates a seamless combination of classroom instruction, career exploration, and hands-on training through worksite internships. The goal of the program is for students to graduate with transferable and marketable job skills and a job offer for competitively paid employment. At this time, six of the eight interns completing the program this year have been offered employment, and one has been offered a full-time position at the UVM Medical Center.

Vermont Business Magazine The Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce (OVRCC) recently announced the launch of a new full-color lifestyle magazine to reach the destination travel and aspirational living market. According to Carol Lighthall, director of the Chamber, “the new Okemo Valley Magazine will be a free biannual lifestyle publication for visitors, residents and chamber members that will showcase the beauty, individual personality and community spirit of the 12 towns and villages that make up the Okemo Valley. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Snelling Center for Government announced today the Early Childhood Leadership Institute Class of 2019. The Class of 2019 is comprised of 26 associates from across the state who represent a wide variety of organizations connected to early childhood and family work.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment numbers fell last week after two weeks of modest increase. Claims had spiked to nearly a 1,000 in April but are half of that peak now. Claims for the week of May 25, 2019, totaled 430, down 98 from last week. Claims were 43 more than they were at this time last year. Altogether 3,633 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 74 from a week ago, and 7 more than a year ago. This is the first increase in total, year-to-year claims in recent memory.