Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The bill provides $54.418 billion in discretionary budget authority, including $8 billion in OCO. The allocation is $12.2 billion above the President’s request as scored by CBO, and $400 million above the fiscal year 2018 enacted level.

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs, said:

“This bill is an example of the Congress rejecting the divisive, reckless approach to governing of the Trump White House. As in the past, Subcommittee Chairman Graham and I have worked together to respond to the input of Members of both parties in drafting a bill that aims to protect U.S. national interests and preserve U.S. global leadership.

Vermont Business Magazine Community Bank N.A. recently presented The Veterans’ Place with a $500 donation to support the organization’s mission of helping as many veterans as possible get back to a life of independence. Founded in 2010, The Veterans’ Place is a substance-free transitional home that serves homeless veterans. It provides a variety of services, including laundry facilities, transportation, meals, housing, individual weekly case management and assistance with applications for disability. Since its inception, The Veterans’ Place has served more than 240 veterans and has a 73 percent success rate of transitioning homeless veterans to independent living.

Try out camping for free, gear included

Vermont State Parks is excited to launch the new First Time Happy Campers Program at five parks during the months of July and August. Created in partnership with the Outdoor Gear Exchange, this program provides free camping for new campers, whose names will be chosen at random when they register through https://www.vtstateparks.com/happy-camper.html.

Edmunds and Hunt Middle School are having their summer school program join Generator for a week-long Chair Design Workshop. Gaining inspiration from past designers, such as Charles and Ray Eames and Jean Prouvé, students will imagine, prototype and build their own chairs from a single piece of plywood. Making furniture requires skills in design, planning, and fabrication. Students will work with talented artists and designers to learn how to blueprint, use adobe illustrator, and laser cut their creations to reality. The first session of the Chair Design Workshop is launching July 30th to August 3rd, dedicated to women’s education. Students will learn how to use the laser cutter to prototype their chair in cardboard. The final product will be laser cut plywood, hardware independent chair, painted or stained with a finish of their choice.

Assessment of Vermonters’ fair and just opportunity to be healthylays the foundation for 2018-2023 State Health Improvement Plan

Vermonters have long been ranked among the healthiest of Americans, but we are not all equally healthy, nor do we all have similar opportunities for good health, according to the newly released Vermont State Health Assessment 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine Representative Peter Welch (D-Vt) issued the following statement in response to today’s landmark Supreme Court decision in South Dakota v. Wayfair, a long awaited internet sales tax case that paves the way for states to require the collection of sales taxes by large online retailers. Welch is the leading House advocate for leveling the competitive playing field between small downtown business and large online retailers. He is a lead sponsor of H.R. 2193, the Remote Transactions Parity Act.

Vermont Business Magazine NorthCountry Federal Credit Union has announced their support of Financial Futures’ Micro Business Development Program at Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO).

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Creative Network, in conjunction with the Vermont Arts Council and an advisory committee comprising Northeast Kingdom (NEK) arts and community leaders, is developing a creative economy action plan for the three-county region. Supported by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Vermont Community Foundation, the six-month project will result in a comprehensive plan to move the NEK creative sector forward and raise community awareness of the power and potential of the creative economy.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Wood Works Council, formerly known as the Vermont Wood Manufacturers Association, has announced that Erin Lorentz of GWC will take over the position of Executive Director, previously held by Kathleen Wanner, also of GWC in Rutland, VT. Lorentz has worked for the association since 2006 and has handled communications, events, and other administrative services for its members.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims increased slightly last week but remain at a low level typical for this time of year. For the week of June 16, 2018, there were 332 claims, 35 more than than they were the previous week, and 92 fewer than they were a year ago. Altogether 3,288 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 136 from a week ago, and 464 fewer than a year ago. For most weeks of 2017 and 2018 claims have been below the year before.

Vermont Business Magazine Hearth & Home Technologies, LLC (HHT), which bought the Vermont Castings Foundry in late 2014, has invested more than $8 million in capital improvements at the plant, including upgrades to the building’s exterior, new equipment and Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machining, renovations to the administrative offices and lunchroom, air compressor upgrades, efficient lighting, and, most recently, installation of a robotic processing center that will increase production capacity and help reduce the risk of workplace injuries.

by Philip Smith In today’s global economy, Vermont businesses should consider sourcing and selling in foreign markets to grow their business. Whether your company is a subsidiary of a foreign company or a US-grown business looking to expand overseas, it is important to learn the alternatives to structuring foreign payments and receipts. Managing overseas financial transactions is no easy feat. Currency exposure, pricing, foreign bank services and other risks may leave you feeling overwhelmed. Here are some key considerations for managing your company’s finances in a foreign country.