Current News
by Brandon
Vermont Business Magazine Hampton by Hilton, Hilton’s (NYSE: HLT) upper-midscale brand and longtime category leader of more than 2,400 hotels, has recognized Hampton Inn by Hilton St. Albans with a Lighthouse Award. The award signifies the hotel as one of the top performing properties within the brand and is only presented to those hotels that have excelled in service and growing customer loyalty.
The Lighthouse Award is given annually and awarded to the top five percent of Hampton by Hilton hotels in the Americas. Prior to attaining the award, Hampton Inn by Hilton St. Albans was recognized as a “Wall of Fame” winner for being in the top 15 percent of Hampton properties for four consecutive quarters. The property will receive a brand trophy to display in their lobby.
by tim
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Dick Lugar was a great credit to his state and the nation, and to the Senate. He was a pillar of civility whose calm and thoughtful contributions helped shape foreign policy, farm and nutrition policy, and national security policy. It’s been said that our partnership in leading the Agriculture Committee has been a model of how the Senate can work, and I will always value our close friendship and what we were able to do together.
Marcelle and I send our heartfelt warmest wishes to Char and their family and friends.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank NA recently presented a $3,500 donation to Vermont Community Garden Network (VCGN) to help support its various programs and services, including its hands-on garden education for youth and adults, training, technical assistance, resources and networking opportunities for garden leaders.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont has made a strong pitch to get business owners to relocate here; even offering an incentive of $10,000 if certain conditions are met. Although they didn’t qualify for the incentive, that did not stop the husband-and-wife team of Christine and Jeremy Baldwin from picking up stakes and leaving Quincy, MA (suburban Boston) and relocating to Colchester.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Bowse Health Trust, a Department of Rutland Regional Medical Center, has begun its 2019 grant cycle, with Letters of Intent due by June 15, 2019.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) announced Friday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $1,153,409 to repair the Colchester Causeway. The popular Island Line Trail connects the towns of Colchester and South Hero on a three-mile long causeway in Lake Champlain that was part of the former Rutland Railroad. A May 2018 wind storm that saw gusts as high as 80 mph caused powerful waves that eroded large sections of the causeway and shut down the internationally renowned recreational path. The State of Vermont moved quickly to provide funds to complete repairs so the path could reopen for most of the 2018 biking season.
by tim
Burlington Code Academy boasts a 93% placement rate for their bootcamp graduates and is offering scholarships for their upcoming summer course.
Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Code Academy (BCA) is leading workforce innovation in Vermont by turning retail workers, musicians, assembly lineman, farmers, and minimum wage workers into coders. In 2017, two Vermont neighbors and a seasoned Silicon Valley coder came together to form Burlington Code Academy, Vermont's first and only coding bootcamp, a 12-week course that trains students to become software developers. Since graduating their first bootcamp class in 2018, Burlington Code Academy has been tracking the placement results and employment outcomes of their graduates.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine The Public Service Department today announces nearly $220,00 in grant awards to internet service providers to boost broadband internet speeds at more than 220 eligible locations in twelve rural Vermont communities. The Department awarded $63,250 to ECFiber to bring fiber optic cable service to 49 homes and businesses in the towns of Tunbridge and Corinth. Consolidated Communications, Inc. received $44,498 to expand broadband to 37 homes and businesses in Barnet. Pear Networks and Kingdom Fiber received a grant of $85,000 to bring fiber optic cable service to 126 homes and businesses in Bloomfield, Brighton, Brunswick, Canaan, Ferdinand, Lemington, and Maidstone. MCFiber received $21,200 to extend fiber optic cable service to six locations in Underhill. Southern Vermont Cable received $5,636 to provide cable internet to 11 homes in Putney.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and members of his Cabinet will be in Washington County on Monday, April 29 for their Capitol for a Day initiative. The group has now toured all 14 counties, beginning in Rutland County in June of 2018. Capitol for a Day gives local constituents, municipal governments and other partners the opportunity to connect directly with State leadership and staff. The Administration plans to continue this initiative, beginning a new round of visits this summer.
“This initiative has been great for me and my team. I’m looking forward to visiting our 14th county, and then starting a new round of visits across the state,” said Governor Scott. “We’re learning a lot, and it’s important to get out and see what different regions are doing, and the challenges they face.”
Follow along on social media using the #VTCapitol4aDay hashtag.
WHEN: Monday, April 29
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine AM Best, a global rating agency, has improved the ratings outlook of the insurance companies of National Life Group from stable to positive, reflecting the companies’ “continuing trends of strong sales growth, outperforming the broader life insurance market.” AM Best also reaffirmed the insurance financial strength rating of A (Excellent) for National Life’s two insurance companies, National Life Insurance Company and Life Insurance Company of the Southwest.
“We’re gratified by this third-party endorsement of our strong and balanced growth,” said Mehran Assadi, Chairman, CEO and President of National Life. “With a focus on our cause and our mission, National Life has been growing steadily and responsibly for the past decade.”
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced today a regular quarterly dividend of $0.18 payable June 3, 2019 to shareholders of record as of May 13, 2019. Ledyard Financial Group, Inc, headquartered in Hanover, NH, with a branch in Norwich, VT, is the holding company for Ledyard National Bank. Ledyard National Bank, founded in 1991, is a full service community bank offering a broad range of banking, investment, tax and wealth management services.
by tim
Vermont Business Magazine Vermont PBS is pleased to announce it has been nominated for seven New England Emmy nominations this year. The New England Emmys are awarded for excellence in video content. Last year the station was nominated for five awards and brought home two, and Vermont PBS looks forward to surpassing last year’s record-setting count with additional statuettes this year. Winners will be announced on June 15.