Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier will be “Wearin’  the Green” on Friday March 15 as the Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce congratulates, recognizes and thanks Norwich University President Richard Schneider for his leadership and contributions to Central Vermont. Dr Schneider has will be honored at The Chamber’s Third Annual Saint Patrick’s Day Breakfast. The event is open to the public.

Vermont Business Magazine North Star Leasing Company, a leading provider of equipment financing solutions based in Burlington, has announced they will be reaching a major milestone in 2019. On June 29 of this year, the company will have successfully helped businesses grow for 40 years.  Since its inception in 1979, the company has funded over 49,000 transactions totaling over $500 million.

by Steven Killoran, Vice President Business Development, Maple Capital Management, Inc As we indicated last month, the Fed has paused its campaign of raising rates each quarter after a plethora of negative developments in financial markets late last year caused financial conditions to tighten. This pause is refreshing for those who feared this Fed was going to repeat the mistakes of the past and go too far by bringing the growth cycle to an end.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank NA recently presented Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) with a $17,500 donation as part of a challenge grant pledged in December. The bank partnered with CVOEO to raise money for the organization’s WARMTH program by matching WARMTH donations dollar for dollar during December, up to a total of $17,500. Statewide, overall donations totaled more than $120,430 to help low-income Vermont families stay warm this winter. All funds will be distributed by CVOEO for use by all five community action agencies statewide for the emergency-based WARMTH program to help offset home heating bills. One hundred percent of donations will be used for WARMTH client services.

Vermont Business Magazine United Way of Rutland County (UWRC) and Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) have teamed up to launch Rutland County’s first “Peanut Butter & Jam Slam,” a friendly, competitive food drive challenge designed to help local food shelves during low supply months.

by Brandon Arcari, Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont National Guard, at a Change of Command ceremony at Camp Johnson in Colchester today, celebrated the installation of new Adjutant General Greg Knight. He assumes command from Major General Steven Cray. Along with the passing of the command, much of the 80-minute ceremony was dedicated to honoring Cray, who is retiring from the Air Force and resuming his civilian life as a pilot for American Airlines.

Vermont Business Magazine The sweetest season is here. Vermont Governor Phil Scott and US Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue kicked off sugaring season in Vermont by tapping a maple tree in Milton. This annual tradition was hosted this year by Georgia Mountain Maples and the Harrison Family.

Vermont Business Magazine Today the State of Vermont and the Vermont Journalism Trust (aka VTDigger) announced a settlement in the matter Vermont Journalism Trust vs. State of Vermont, Docket No: 6-1-19 Wncv. The litigation involved two public records requests by VTDigger related to Jay Peak’s EB-5 program, which were denied because the state continues to be engaged in active litigation concerning the EB-5 program. Under terms of the settlement, the State of Vermont agreed to provide VTDigger the originally requested documents as well as additional agreed-upon Jay Peak records.

by Secretary of State Jim Condos On Tuesday, March 5^th, Vermonters elected their local government officials on Town Meeting Day. In November 2018, Vermonters chose their statewide officers and legislative representatives. In November 2016, Vermonters voted for the highest elected office in the United States. Regardless of the difference in responsibilities of their positions, from local select boards to the Governor to the President of the United States, and even me as Vermont’s Secretary of State, we all share one thing: a responsibility to uphold the public’s trust by being transparent and accountable in everything we do.

March 10 - 16 is Sunshine Week, a national celebration of access to public information and government transparency.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims rose last week again after they have been mostly down this year. For the week of March 2, 2019, there were 845 claims, 189 more than they were the previous week, but 44 fewer than they were a year ago.

Altogether 6,196 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 357 from a week ago, but 260 fewer than a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims were lower than the year before, but have been up and down in 2019. Vermont, like the nation as a whole, is locked into a historically low period of unemployment and a tight labor market.

Vermont Business Magazine Karen Korematsu, founder and executive director of the Fred T Korematsu Institute and daughter of the late Fred Korematsu, will be the Commencement speaker at Saint Michael’s College on May 12 at 10 am in the Ross Sports Center. Korematsu is a civil rights advocate, public speaker, and public educator whose civil liberties work is motivated by the experiences of her father in a World-War-II-era incarceration camp for Japanese Americans and his subsequent civil rights activism.

At its January meeting the Board of Trustees approved the choice of Korematsu as Commencement speaker and Honorary Degree recipient.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Pico Mountain announced today it will make major upgrades to its snowmaking system, which means starting in the 2019-20 season guests will experience a better, more consistent and more reliable snow surface. Pending permit approval, the $2.1 million investment will be the largest since Killington took ownership of Pico more than 20 years ago. Pico and Killington are part of the POWDR adventure lifestyle company.