Current News
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Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont joined six other state ski trade associations from across the country Wednesday to express united support for the formation of the Outdoor Business Climate Partnership to provide leadership on climate change. Following the announcement by the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), SnowSports Industries America (SIA) and National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) of its partnership, leaders of several state ski area trade associations including Ski Vermont released the following statement.
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Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Procurement Technical Assistance Center (VT PTAC) in collaboration with the Lamoille Economic Development Corporation (LEDC) invites businesses to attend Selling to the Government 101 on February 20, 2019 at the Green Mountain Tech in Hyde Park. Businesses will learn the basics to compete for contracts with the government whether it is state, local, or federal while also learning about socio-economic small business programs that may give them an advantage when competing for federal contracts. This free event includes 30 minutes of networking time.
“Government contracting can be challenging. This class provides businesses with information to navigate through the challenges and the tools and resources available to be successful,” said Joanne Spaulding, director of VT PTAC.
Selling to the Government 101
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Vermont Business Magazine A tripartisan bill aimed at increasing Vermonters’ access to affordable, high-quality child care was announced by legislative sponsors at a State House press conference on Tuesday. According to a press release, the legislation would make investments in three key areas: 1) expanding Vermont’s tuition assistance program that helps lower- and middle-income families afford quality child care; 2) supporting Vermont’s early education workforce with scholarships, student loan repayment and refundable tax credits; and 3) offering tax credits to businesses that help their employees access child care.
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Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont House today gave preliminary approval to the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Adjustment, H.97, after the bill received unanimous support in the House Appropriations Committee last week.
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Vermont Business Magazine Tobacco use remains the nation’s leading cause of preventable death and disease, taking an estimated 480,000 lives every year. This year’s “State of Tobacco Control” report from the American Lung Association finds Vermont had mixed progress on its efforts to reduce and prevent tobacco use. While the state is leading the way on Smokefree Air with an A grade, the American Lung Association calls on Governor Phil Scott to increase funding for tobacco prevention and control funding and raise the age of sale of tobacco products in order to reduce youth tobacco use and save lives.
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Vermont Business Magazine The employee-owners of Heritage Aviation have formalized their commitment to using business as a force for good by converting to a Vermont Benefit Corporation, a decision that requires the company to consider not only financial responsibility to shareholders, but also social responsibility to employees, the environment, and their communities.
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Vermont Business Magazine The Small Business Administration Vermont District Office is accepting nominations for its 2019 small business awards. The nomination date has been extended to February 4. Previous Vermont winners include Ben and Jerry’s, Switchback Brewing Company and Mamava, the 2018 Small Business Person of the Year winner.
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by Representative Heidi E Scheuermann (R-Stowe) The 2019-2020 legislative biennium is well under way, and my primary focus these first three weeks has been doing all I can legislatively to provide a one-year extension of the July 1, 2019 involuntary merger deadline in Act 46. Toward that end, our Act 46 Legislative Working Group - made up of dozens of legislators from across the political spectrum - is working diligently to educate members of the House and Senate Education Committees and the legislative leadership about why this extension to July 1, 2020 is so important.
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Vermont Business Magazine FirstLight, a leading provider of fiber-optic data, Internet, data center, cloud and voice services to enterprise and carrier customers throughout the Northeast, announced today the latest addition to its comprehensive portfolio of fiber-based services: Managed Edge. FirstLight’s Managed Edge enhances the company’s high quality, fiber-based communications services by offering customers a single solution for connectivity coupled with fully managed devices for a complete end-to-end solution.
by Brandon
by Katie Keszey Kris Matheson is obsessed with socks. He brags about the drawers full of them he has at home, and the fancy materials they’re made of, like merino wool and something called Coolmax; he ogles the rows of sewing machines that knit them; he shows off the dozens of new designs displayed inside the Cabot Hosiery Mills in Northfield, where Darn Tough socks are made. “I love this place,” he says—as if he needed to.
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Vermont Business Magazine Bitter temperatures are once again expected later this week and Vermont Gas wants to make sure natural gas safety is top of mind. As always, if you smell gas or detect a problem with your heating system call 911 and then call Vermont Gas right away at 800-639-8081.
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Vermont Business Magazine Addressing a room of new graduates at Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Joyce Judy, Community College of Vermont President, asked Monday’s class of new medical assistants to reflect on how they had felt 14 weeks ago upon entering their training program. Without hesitation, the responses echoed each other: “nervous,” said some; “overwhelmed,” replied others. And when Judy then asked them to describe their feelings upon graduating, the responses were equally unanimous: confident proclamations of “excited,” and “grateful,” were met all around with nods and smiles.