Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The City of South Burlington has reached a tentative agreement with Shawn Burke to be the next chief of police. Burke will fill the position upon the retirement of Chief Trevor Whipple in January 2019. Burke currently is deputy chief at the Burlington Police Department.

Public Assets Institute The unemployment rate often tops the headlines, but it’s the number of people working that counts. In January in Vermont that number reached its highest point in five years. Employment exceeded 335,200 for the first time since March 2013. While still below the 2006 pre-recession peak, employment has been trending upward over the last year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Farm & Forest Viability Program, a program of the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, awarded a total of $368,794 to 12 Vermont farms through its Water Quality and Dairy Improvement Grant programs. Five farms from Rutland, Franklin, and Addison counties were awarded $146,829 in Water Quality Grants. These grants leveraged $1.6 million in additional funding for capital improvement projects to reduce runoff and improve manure management and soil health. The Viability Program grants are matched by the farmers’ funds, bank loans, and grant funding from the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. Funding for the Water Quality Grants comes from the State of Vermont’s Capital Construction and Bonding Act.

Vermont Business Magazine Capital projects totaling $10 million will enhance the Stratton experience throughout the year, with a new high-speed Snow Bowl lift topping the list of investments for 2018-19. Now part of the Alterra Mountain Company family, Stratton skiers will enjoy the ride on a new Doppelmayr lift designed and situated to minimize the impact of wind and inclement weather while providing easier access to beginner terrain from the summit of southern Vermont’s highest peak as well as to signature trails including the double-black diamond World Cup, which hosted Vermont’s first ever World Cup races in 1978.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Learning-Support Initiative (VLSI) Board of Directors announced today that Bradford Smith has been named VLSI’s first Executive Director. “Brad brings exceptional skills and a deep commitment to fulfill VLSI’s mission of helping students who learn differently get to and through college,” said Dorothy Schnure, Chair of the VLSI Board. “The Board is impressed with Brad’s ability to connect with members of our communities who understand the need for greater educational equity for these learners, and with his vision to expand VLSI’s outreach to Vermont students and their families.”

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott has signed into law new captive insurance legislation further strengthening Vermont's captive law in a variety of areas. Passed by Vermont's general assembly in the first part of the 2018 legislative session, the law includes regulatory enhancements for branch captives, as well as standardizing the state's annual filing date for annual reports and premium taxes.

"It is critical that we are responsive to the needs of the industry. These improvements to our captive legislation illustrate Vermont's ongoing commitment to the captive insurance industry, which has been an economic boon for the state," stated Governor Phil Scott. "This bill will further advance Vermont's reputation as the 'Gold Standard' of domiciles and will provide greater flexibility and consistency for our companies going forward."

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for January was 2.9 percent. This reflects no change from the revised December rate. The broad metrics all showed mild improvement. The seasonally-adjusted Vermont data for January show the Vermont civilian labor force increased by 276 from the prior month’s revised estimate. The number of employed persons increased by 443 and the number of unemployed persons decreased by 167. The changes were not statistically significant in the seasonally-adjusted series. However, the unadjusted unemployment rate increased month-to-month and year-to-year.

Vermont Business Magazine The Manufacturing Institute announced this week they will award GLOBALFOUNDRIES' (GF) employees Kendra Kreider Goudreau, Kate Wagner and Teresa Bazan with the Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award. The STEP Ahead Awards honor women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in their careers and represent all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory-floor to the C suite.

Kreider Goudreau is a process lead in SC process & systems integration from Essex; Wagner is a principal engineer in manufacturing engineering from Burlington; and Bazan is a senior product line manager from Essex. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the largest manufacturer in the state, with about 2600 employees. GF acquired the former IBM semiconductor facility in Essex Junction in 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine There will be a public meeting in Barre on Thursday, March 15^th, 2018 to discuss the discovery of emerald ash borer in Orange County. The meeting is being hosted by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation, and the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets, in cooperation with the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the US Forest Service.

by Secretary of State Jim Condos March 11-17 is Sunshine Week, a national celebration of access to public information and what it means for you and your community. All across Vermont new board members and other town and city officials are being sworn in and taking their seats for the first time. I am thankful for the many Vermonters willing to serve their communities and sacrifice their time for the greater good. This is what makes Vermont great.

In my 18 years on the South Burlington City Council, 6 years on the Vermont League of Cities and Towns’ Board, 8 years in the Vermont Senate, and now 7+ years as Vermont’s Secretary of State, I know the personal satisfaction that comes from serving others and making a difference. On the other hand, it’s not always about smiles and pats on the back.

Vermont Business Magazine On March 15th, 2018, the Vermont Rail Action Network will present Safety First! at the Vermont State House, Cedar Creek Room at 2:30 - 4 pm. Legislators, rail advocates and media representatives are invited to attend.

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University in Northfield will hold the 23^rd Annual William E. Colby Military Writers’ Symposium April 11-12, 2018, on the theme of “Won the War, Lost the Peace: The U.S. Legacy in Iraq.” The Colby is a two-day event hosted at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. The only program of its kind at an American university, this unique and powerful program invites distinguished authors and experts in the fields of military history, intelligence, or current affairs to campus for social events, book signings, presentations, classroom sessions, and a moderated panel discussion on the theme for the year.