Current News

Green Mountain Grain & Barrel producing locally-sourced, locally-made oak barrels.

by Christine McGowan Woodworkers by hobby and Vermont National Guardsmen by training, Tony Fletcher, Josh Waterhouse and Mac Broich are finding their niche as coopers for Vermont’s craft spirits industry. Green Mountain Grain & Barrel was founded in 2016 with a simple goal: to be the sole producer of barrels for Vermont distilleries, wineries and breweries.

Vermont Business Magazine Granite Air Center, Inc in Lebanon, NH, is partnering with Norwich Solar Technologies of White River Junction, Vermont, to install a 218.1-kilowatt DC, Net-Metered Photovoltaic (PV) System on the main hangar rooftop at their facility, and is the largest solar array in the City of Lebanon to date. Completed in early May 2018, the solar array will provide Granite Air long-term energy cost reduction and stability through the integration of clean, renewable solar electricity.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Electric Co-op (VEC) held its annual meeting Saturday, May 12 at Smugglers’ Notch Resort, and members elected directors to the board, heard updates from VEC staff, checked out a vendor showcase, and marked VEC’s 80th year, among other things. Approximately 200 members attended.

Vermont Business Magazine AllEarth Renewables wishes to congratulate all of the participants in the recent Vermont Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fair, and to announce the winners of the event’s AllEarth Renewables special awards. Held on March 24^th at Norwich University, the 59^th annual Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Fair showcased the work of Vermont public, private and homeschooled students in grades 5-12 who have won local science and math fair competitions. The students displayed projects that tackle questions and pose solutions arising from the fields of science, technology, engineering and math.AllEarth Renewables sponsored awards for the best high school project in either solar or wind renewable energy.

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont announced today that it has reached a tentative collective bargaining agreement with its faculty union, United Academics. The agreement is subject to approval by the UVM Board of Trustees and ratification by the union’s membership.

Vermont Business Magazine The US Senate Wednesday afternoon, in a vote of 52-47, passed a measure to restore net neutrality rules to prevent Internet Service Providers and Cable Companies from imposing paid prioritizations schemes, or from blocking or throttling certain websites. The Congressional Review Act Resolution, cosponsored by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), now heads to the House of Representatives to be voted on. Leahy earlier brought the Senate Judiciary Committee to Vermont for a hearing to listen to Vermonters’ reasons for supporting net neutrality.

Statement Of Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.)

On Consideration of S.J.Res. 52
To Restore Net Neutrality Rules

May 16, 2018

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction, among the nation’s largest employee-owned construction companies, has announced that longtime leader Jay Fayette has been named president of the company. Fayette has been with PC Construction for 22 years and has more than 38 years’ experience in the building and infrastructure industries. PC has also named seasoned construction executive David Crawford as Chairman and CEO of the company. Crawford brings nearly 50 years of experience in construction, including eight years as CEO of Sundt Construction, where he led the company through a transition to employee ownership. Crawford has served on the PC Construction Board since 2017 and previously chaired the board of the Design-Build Institute of America.

PC is Vermont's largest construction firm with $600 million in annual revenues, according to VBM's Vermont 100+.

Vermont Business Magazine Sanel Auto Parts, Co has announced that the company is joining NAPA AUTO PARTS. Under its new name, Sanel NAPA, the company will continue to be independently owned and operated by the Segal family, the fourth generation to lead the company. Sanel is based in New Hampshire with stores in Vermont. Sanel NAPA will be purchasing eight additional NAPA stores, three in New Hampshire, four in Maine and one in Massachusetts. By joining NAPA, Sanel will be able to provide increased inventory in stores, enhanced access to more products and parts, and faster supply chain logistics to deliver more efficiently at competitive prices. Sanel NAPA will now be a single source for more than 525,000 quality parts, sourcing products and services from over 1,600 manufacturers from multiple distribution centers, with improved retail and wholesale merchandising programs to meet the multiple needs of customers.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Power Systems Corp (TSX:NPS), a next generation renewable energy and energy storage technology company based in Barre, announced Tuesday continued financial difficulties with results for its first quarter of 2018. The business, which relies heavily on wind turbine sales to Italy, has seen significant decline in revenues because of uncertainty in overseas economies and politics, particularly Italy and Brazil. The firm could face delisting on the TSX. Revenues for the three months ended March 31, 2018, were $1.6 million, compared to $6.2 million in the first quarter of 2017. GAAP net loss for the first quarter of 2018 was $1.8 million, compared to a net loss of $1.2 million in the prior year first quarter. Order backlog at the end of the first quarter was $7 million, compared to $30 million for the prior year first quarter. Earlier this year, NP announced it was furloughing manufacturing workers at its Barre plant. It told VBM it has about 50 employees in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine More than 50 Community College of Vermont faculty and community supporters turned out in driving rain for the CCV United Faculty informational picket "for job security and fair pay" at the Vermont State Colleges Chancellor's Office in Montpelier on Tuesday. According to a union press release, contract negotiations for the CCV faculty have reached impasse and no new negotiations are scheduled until June 11, the first date the administration made available.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and Vermont Department of Labor Commissioner Lindsay Kurrle will join the Associated General Contractors of Vermont and high school students from all over the state to declare today, May 16^th, Careers in Construction Day. Hosted annually, Careers in Construction Day brings together Vermont juniors and seniors and construction businesses for hands-on learning and demonstrations to increase awareness of the jobs available in the construction industries. The full day event hosts a job fair, panel discussions, and local community events presented by employers, trade associations and schools.

The construction industry in Vermont must fill over 2,500 permanent and seasonal jobs each year to meet the workforce demand, and Vermont’s construction industry aims to be the leader in providing young people with career opportunities, while increasing the size and quality of the future workforce.

by Pat McDonald, President of Campaign for Vermont Vermonters and their hard-earned dollars are exhausted from experiencing the rollercoaster ride that is our government's approach to economic policy. Despite repeated pleas from Vermonters to address affordability and avoid upward pressures on tax bills, this session has once again left them with a feeling that no one is listening to them, leaving them holding the bag.

It’s not that our political leaders and lawmakers can’t get things done. Just look how quickly they passed recreational marijuana and firearms legislation this session. In fact, Vermont has a long track record of pushing social issues through at a rapid pace, but the sand really gets into the gears, as soon as economic and fiscal issues hit the road.