Current News

Thursday November 1, 2018, at the DoubleTree by Hilton (formerly the Sheraton), 4-7 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine Superior Technical Ceramics, based in St Albans, has been acquired by Artemis Capital Partners, a private equity firm founded in 2010 and based in Boston. STC, a privately held company with 162 employees, occupies a campus encompassing 135,000 square feet of manufacturing space. It will remain at this location. Financial terms were not released.

Artemis invests exclusively in differentiated industrial technology companies operating in the aerospace, automotive, defense, energy, industrial automation, scientific and research, and medical sectors.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger on Thursday opened the first phase of the Oakledge for All playground at Oakledge Park. As the first universally accessible playground in the region, Oakledge for All features accessible play structures, surfaces, and pathways that allow people with a range of mobility, visual, sensory, and other needs to be able to play.

“Burlington’s history of investing in our recreational resources has given our community access to world-class parks and outdoor spaces,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Today, I’m proud to announce the opening of the first phase of the Oakledge for All playground, which will extend those opportunities for play and recreation to more members of our community. This grassroots, community-driven project creates an important resource for our City, and highlights Burlingtonians’ commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank NA recently presented the DREAM Program with a $15,000 donation at the end of the Race to the Top of Vermont. Community Bank N.A. served as a sponsor for the event and had more than 25 employees and family members participate. “Presenting the DREAM Program with our donation was the perfect way to end our long climb up Mount Mansfield,” Community Bank N.A. Regional Manager Anita Bourgeois said. “The DREAM Program does so much to help the youth in our community and makes a true difference in their lives. We’re extremely proud to partner with them once again.”

The Race to the Top of Vermont is one of Vermont's premiere mountain sports events and is a fundraiser for the Catamount Trail Association. Proceeds from the event support the development and maintenance of backcountry ski terrain throughout Vermont for the improved quality of life, and economic benefit it provides.

Vermont Business Magazine On Friday afternoon two University of Vermont Board of Trustees committees passed resolutions that lay out a specific financial plan for the Athletic Department’s Multi-Purpose Facility project and pave the way for construction to begin as early as this winter, pending receipt of all the necessary permits. The resolutions must still be approved Saturday morning by the full Board of Trustees and require that all fundraising goals be met prior to groundbreaking. While fundraising for the project will continue up to and through construction, several critical milestones have been met which provided the board confidence to move the project forward.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole today voted to remove the name of Guy W Bailey, UVM’s 13^th president, from the main university library. The resolution is still subject to formal action by the Board at its meeting tomorrow morning. Upon Board approval, the official name for the building, previously Guy W Bailey/David W. Howe Memorial Library, will be David W Howe Memorial Library.

This decision was reached following a recommendation by the university’s Renaming Advisory Committee, established in March of this year. Composed of current, emeriti and student trustees (some UVM alumni), and faculty members, the committee followed a process and set of principles developed at Yale University, which includes the opportunity for members of the community to comment.

Vermont Business Magazine Recognized as New England’s premier event exploring clean energy innovation and climate solutions, Renewable Energy Vermont’s 18^th annual Conference and Exposition, REV2018, themed REVitalize: Transforming Energy Further, Faster, Together convened more than 525 people last week for two days of collective re-envisioning of New England’s energy needs.

The conference also served as an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of individuals and organizations progressing climate and renewable energy in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Thursday in Randolph, Agency of Commerce & Community Development Secretary Michael Schirling announced the launch of the ThinkVermont Innovation Grant Program during the second annual Innovation Spaces Conference at Vermont Technical College. The ThinkVermont Innovation Grant Program, proposed by the Scott Administration and passed in partnership with the Legislature, was created to respond to the growth needs of Vermont small businesses with 20 or fewer employees by funding innovative strategies that accelerate small business growth. The grant program will allow the State to invest in projects with grants that can be accessed more quickly and with fewer restrictions than traditional federal initiatives. The appropriation for this program is $150,000.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Retail and Grocers Association is pleased to announce four different insurance plans available to existing and prospective members. VRGA has partnered with Business Resource Services in an effort to expand access to health insurance to small businesses and their employees.

Vermont Business Magazine In FY 2018, VEDA closed a record number of financings -- a total of $167.8 million. This amount is 1.8x the largest previous annual volume in the Authority's history. The amount of private capital leveraged in the projects financed was $93.3 million. These and other FY2018 contributions to Vermont's economy by the Authority will be presented today at VEDA's 44th Annual Meeting in South Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased again last week and have been rising slowly the entire month. For the week of October 20, 2018, there were 391 claims, 19 more than than they were the previous week, but 81 fewer than they were a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims have been lower than the year before. Vermont, like the nation as a whole, is locked into a historically low period of unemployment despite small increases over the last month.