Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Small Business Saturday, November 24, is a day set aside to show support for local small businesses. The day, created in 2010 by American Express, has become a popular way for members of the community to support and celebrate local small businesses. It offers an opportunity to enjoy a stroll down your town’s Main Street one day after the hustle bustle of Black Friday. “There are many benefits to shopping at small businesses all over our state on Small Business Saturday,” said Shawn Shouldice, state director of NFIB in Vermont. “Retailers carry some of Vermont’s most special products that you won’t find when shopping on line, and even better, you are going to get personalized service. Our local businesses work hard to keep their customers happy so they return over and over again.”

by Wendell G Davis, New England Regional Administrator, US Small Business Administration Every small business begins with taking a risk. Think about it, you have an idea for a product or service, you spend time, energy and money thinking and planning how things are going to go, but even the best ideas and the best laid plans require a leap of faith. When you start a new business venture, you are putting yourself on the line by risking your time, your money, or the security of being an employee verses an employer. But when you succeed in your risk, it’s empowering.

One of the best parts of my job as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s New England Regional Administrator is the opportunity I get to visit entrepreneurs in their element, at their businesses, talking to them and hearing their stories. It’s inspiring to hear about the risks they’ve taken and what they had to do to succeed.

Vermont Business Magazine People’s United Bank has announced that it has awarded $2,000 to The Mentor Connector in Rutland. This donation will be used to fund one-on-one mentoring for hundreds of youth ages 5-21 in Rutland County, with the goal of helping them develop life skills, educational curiosity and workforce readiness. This is accomplished through individualized coaching designed to expos the mentees to skills that enable them to develop into successful adults. Through encouraging a love of learning to help them connect schooling to the real world, and by helping to build knowledge, the hope is they will develop the skills and attitudes necessary to succeed in the workplace and at home.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont announced today that it is participating in a massive new effort, working collaboratively with 130 public universities and systems, to increase college access, close the achievement gap and award hundreds of thousands more degrees by 2025. The participating institutions will work within clusters of four to 12 institutions to implement innovative and effective practices to advance student success on their campuses. Collectively, the institutions enroll 3 million students, including 1 million students who receive Pell Grants.

Vermont Business Magazine The “Employee Owners of Vermont,” a group of local employee-owned companies that work together to benefit Vermont communities, recently celebrated the conclusion of their most successful collaboration to date. For the month of October, which is Employee Ownership Month, the companies decided to collect donations for the Vermont Food Bank, and set the goal of raising $5,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power kicked off Vermont’s heating season by giving $133,000 to Community Action Agencies in support of the WARMTH program. GMP is urging customers to donate, too, and together will help more families. Since 1986, WARMTH has provided emergency heating assistance to more than 90,000 Vermonters. All funds donated go to Vermonters who need emergency help paying for heat.

“We love this program because it gives direct help to Vermont families who need it. No one should be cold in the winter,” said Mary Powell, Green Mountain Power president and CEO. “We’re proud to partner with our customers this way. It is always so heartening to see how willing they are to help neighbors in need. Vermonters know how cold it can get, but they also know how well WARMTH has helped families get through tough times while staying comfortable and safe right at home.”

Vermont Business Magazine Joshua White, MD, will serve as Gifford Health Care’s chief medical officer (CMO) effective January 1, 2019, Gifford officials announced today, a promotion that will further align Gifford’s medical leadership with its administration. White, an emergency medicine physician at the Randolph hospital, currently serves as Gifford’s hospital division medical director. As CMO, he will oversee all medical services, staff and providers; work closely with department leads as well as Gifford administrators; and represent medical staff at Board of Directors meetings.

Vermont Business Magazine As families shop for last-minute ingredients to complete their Thanksgiving feasts, a recent study by the University of Vermont and Hunger Free Vermont serves as a reminder that the grocery store is a pressure point for nearly 60,000 Vermonters who are food insecure. According to Hunger Free Vermont, a nonprofit organization that seeks to eliminate hunger and malnutrition in the state, food insecurity and hunger are caused by a lack of affordable housing, low wages, high unemployment, a decrease in nearby affordable grocery stores and lack of public transportation. Currently, nearly 18,000 Vermont children are affected by food insecurity.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine With strong numbers from the personal income tax, Vermont General Fund revenues exceeded their targets by nearly 7 percent in October. PI is the most import GF revenue source and it well offset a poor showing by the corporate income tax. Corporate tends to be less predictable but is still ahead of expectations for the fiscal year-to-date. Rooms & Meals, the second largest GF revenue source, edged ahead of its target. R&M has been a consistently strong revenue source the last several years and for the most part reflects tourism activity.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice (CVHHH) has welcomed Gordie Eurich and his daughter, Ellen Eurich, as Honorary Chairs of its annual Fall Appeal. The Eurich’s relationship with CVHHH dates to 2010, when Gordie, with his wife Casey and the couple’s business partner Ian Downing, opened SlopeStyle Ski & Ride, an outdoor gear shop in Montpelier. The opening of the store coincided with CVHHH’s annual fashion show, then called Colors of Autumn. Ellen walked the runway in the show, wearing winter gear from SlopeStyle. For the next few years, Casey had the opportunity to dress models in the show, a task she enjoyed and which gave her the chance to showcase her style and personality.

Gordie Eurich and his daughter, Ellen Eurich

Vermont Business Magazine The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS NSQIP) has recognized Rutland Regional Medical Center as one of 83 ACS NSQIP participating hospitals that have achieved meritorious outcomes for surgical patient care in 2017. As a participant in ACS NSQIP, Rutland Regional is required to track the outcomes of inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures and collect data that assesses patient safety and can be used to direct improvement in the quality of surgical care.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging (SVCOA) is searching for individuals to participate in its Senior Companion Program after experiencing a recent decline in volunteer numbers. “We’ve seen a relatively drastic drop in senior companions throughout southwestern Vermont, with the greatest shortage coming in Bennington County,” said Aaron Brush, Volunteer, Senior Companion and Caregiver Coordinator with SVCOA. “The Senior Companion program is a terrific opportunity for individuals to provide companionship to older Vermonters in their communities while also receiving various benefits for their service.”

The Vermont Senior Companion Program matches volunteers age 55 and up with older Vermonters who need general companionship, as well as assistance with basic errands such as shopping and getting to appointments, among other activities.