Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Another perfectly-timed snowstorm swept across Vermont Tuesday and Wednesday, dropping upward of a foot of fresh snow on Green Mountain State ski areas as a perfect refresher ahead of the upcoming Presidents' Week holiday. Ski areas across the state reported between six and 10 inches of accumulation Wednesday morning, with snow continuing to fall during the day.

by Jack Hoffman, Public Assets Institute Here we go again. As his predecessor did six years ago, Governor Phil Scott has proposed more money to help low-income families pay for high quality child care. It’s a worthy investment, as it would have been in 2013. But repeating the mistake his predecessor made, Governor Scott wants to pay for his proposal by taking from Peter to pay Paul.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Northern Power Systems Corp based in Barre, a distributed wind company, announced in a press release Tuesday that on February 11, 2019, the company sold its energy storage business, including Northern’s energy storage project pipeline and related intellectual property, to WEG Electric Corp. At closing, NPS received proceeds of approximately $1.1 million and WEG hired eight energy storage focused employees from Northern. Despite the sale of its NPS’s energy storage assets, the company will maintain its distributed wind business and intends to market and sell its distributed wind turbines in a variety of markets, including Italy, the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom and Germany.

Burlington-based Faraday to help optimize marketing and identify people likely to move to the state

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington-based Faraday has signed a strategic contract with the State of Vermont to use their platform to drive more interest and engagement in people looking to relocate to Vermont. This technology will be used in conjunction with the Vermont Department of Economic Development's ThinkVermont initiative and website, which engage a wide-ranging audience around opportunities to live and work in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced $400,000 in Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) Grant Program awards to nine towns and organizations across Vermont to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. The towns of Chester, Highgate, Norwich and Warren; the city of Montpelier; Marlboro College; Vermont Law School; City Place in Burlington; and Healthy Living Market in South Burlington were each awarded grant money to construct these stations. The grant money is derived from funds awarded to Vermont in the Volkswagen Mitigation settlement after the company violated the Clean Air Act.

Vermont Business Magazine The morning of February 3 began as many others have this season for the Castleton University alpine ski team: a successful first run by the women had the Spartans sitting atop the team leaderboard with five racers among the top 10 individuals. The men's race got off to a quick start for the Spartans as well; Paul Rechberger and Logan Mackie each sat in the top five after strong opening runs. It wasn't until Babson College's Victor Wiacek took his first run that the day changed drastically for Wiacek and two Castleton women's skiers.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) along with Representative Pete Stauber (R-Minn) has reintroduced in the new Congress legislation to extend the North Country National Scenic Trail from Crowne Point, NY into Addison County, linking it to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail via Vermont’s Long Trail. Both the Senate and the House are expected to approve public lands legislation that incorporates Welch’s bill, clearing the way for President Trump to sign it into law.

Vermont Business Magazine The funds from the TD Charitable Foundation will support the creation of Norwich University’s Design Build Collaborative. Building on the seven different affordable housing prototypes Norwich has developed since 2011, the Collaborative will not only continue to design and prototype regionally informed, resilient housing, but also organize and coordinate related research and programs between the schools that make up the College of Professional Schools: Architecture + Art; Business & Management; David Crawford School of Engineering; and Nursing to produce and site additional affordable homes in the next several years. The houses built through the Collaborative will be created for low-income Vermonters, providing a cost-effective means of homeownership.

Vermont Business Magazine The Walter Cerf Community Fund (WCCF), a component fund of the Vermont Community Foundation, announces $251,060 in grants to 35 organizations to support work through summer 2019. The grants from the 2018 application round, some of which will be awarded over three years, support a range of organizations and projects focused on the arts, education, historic preservation, social services, and the needs of underserved populations—reflecting the pattern of giving established by Walter Cerf during his lifetime. The Cerf Fund’s giving since its establishment in 2001 is part of the lasting charitable legacy of a remarkable and generous man who wanted to make a difference in Addison County and Brandon.

Vermont Business Magazine LendingTree, the nation's leading online loan marketplace, today released its report comparing mortgage rates by state. California is lowest at 4.74%. New York is highest at 4.96%. Vermont is at 4.87% (38th). New Hampshire is 23rd at 4.84%.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Patrick McKee, President & CEO at Wake Robin in Shelburne announced that he will be retiring from his position by Labor Day 2019. McKee has served as President and CEO of the non-profit, Lifecare Community since May 2014. During McKee’s tenure at Wake Robin, he has overseen the development and management of the Maple Expansion Project, which includes construction of a new apartment building, an expanded community center, and expansion and updates to the Linden Health Center. 

“We will be conducting a nationwide search for our next President and CEO,” said Eric Hanson, Wake Robin Board Chair. “Patrick has been a great asset to Wake Robin as we have navigated growth of facility and programming during his tenure. We will miss his calm demeanor, leadership and wry sense of humor.”

by Dustin A Degree The Legislature’s Next Generation Commission was asked to “develop a plan to encourage Vermonters to live and work in Vermont.”  Six months later, it reported that “Vermont faces critical demographic shifts” and we must “implement bold strategies immediately if it is to retain its economic vitality…”It noted finding skilled workers to fill available jobs will become more difficult for employers, hurting our economy and our ability to support vital public services and invest in our priorities.