Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Act 73 Working Group released its recommendations today for long-term water quality funding to meet the state’s clean water goals. Significant long-term investment is needed to restore and sustain the high quality of Vermont’s waterways. While existing resources available from state, municipal and private sectors will meet theirportion of the required clean water investment in the immediate future, these resourcesare stressed and unlikely to be adequate after FY 2021.

With an eye toward developing long-term water quality solutions, the Vermont Legislature passed Act 73 in June. The Act 73 Working Group formed to develop a report that would include recommendations for an equitable and effective long-term clean water funding strategy. The Working Group examined solutions to address the primary goal of Vermont’s clean water initiative, which is not simply to raise and spend money, rather it is to reach water quality standards.

Vermont Business MagazineIn response to growing customer demand in its European medical device and drug delivery business, Bethel, Vermont-based GW Plastics announced this week a merger with product development and 3D printing firm NeraTek Limited of Sligo, Ireland. NeraTek will be merged into Avenue Mould Solutions, which GW acquired in July. NeraTek provides product development, 3D printing, additive manufacturing, and prototyping design services for leading medical device and pharmaceutical companies.

Vermont Business Magazine This afternoon, Representative Peter Welch (D-Vermont) spoke against the Trump-Ryan tax proposal being debated by the House of Representatives.A final vote on the bill is expected tomorrow by early afternoon. “If you asked 435 members of Congress if they want to raise taxes on students, the answer from 435 members would be ‘no.’ This bill was written by and for the donor class. Let’s defeat this bill and stand up for the middle class.”

Vermont Business MagazineUSCitizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will present 35 citizenship candidates to the Honorable Colleen ABrown, Chief Bankruptcy Judge for the USDistrict Court for the District of Vermont, at a ceremony to be held at Christ the King School in Rutland Wednesday.The Honorable Judge Brown will preside over this special venue ceremony and will deliver theOath of Allegianceto America’s newest citizens.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced the appointment of a bipartisan duo of former legislators to strengthen and coordinate his Administration’s initiatives to expand the size of Vermont’s workforce. Senator Dustin Degree (R-Franklin) will serve as special assistant to the Governor and executive director of workforce expansion. Former Representative Sarah Buxton (D-Windsor-Orange 1) will assume the new role of director of workforce policy and performance within the Vermont Department of Labor (VDOL).

Vermont Business Magazine Today, joined by Governor Phil Scott and Montpelier Mayor John Hollar, the Bashara Family announced plans to build a new 89-room hotel on their existing 3-acre property in downtown Montpelier. The hotel, a new, four-level parking structure, and a revitalization of the existing Capitol Plaza lot, is expected to bring over $17 million in new investment to Montpelier. The project will create 50-60 construction jobs during the year-long construction phase, and the Bashara Family estimates they will create 30-50 new jobs at the hotel.

“This project is an exciting step forward for our city as we work with other business leaders and our elected officials to revitalize and create a more vibrant downtown,” said Fred Bashara. “When complete, the new hotel and renovations to our existing Capitol Plaza, will be a new and modern gathering place for visitors to Montpelier.”

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Health Care’s (SVHC) Centers for Living and Rehabilitation (CLR), askilled nursing and rehabilitation facility in Bennington, recently earned Vermont regulators’ highest commendation, deficiency free. Last month, five surveyors from the Vermont Department of Disabilities, Aging, and Independent Living arrived unannounced for their yearly survey. They reviewed the facility for 3 days to check that the nursing home is meeting each of more than 300 standards covering every aspect of care, including administration, cleanliness, nursing care, activity programming, protection of resident rights, and food service.

Vermont Business Magazine KeyPoint Partners, LLC (KPP) has negotiated a lease with L Brands for an expansion and relocation of the Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works stores at University Mall (UMall) in South Burlington, according to Robert Lemons, Managing Partner of the firm. KPP Vice President of Leasing Don Mace completed the transaction. Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works, both long-time tenants at UMall, have been located in adjacent spaces totaling 6,900. The stores will relocate across from the food court, occupying newly re-configured spaces totaling more than 10,200 square feet. Construction will commence in early 2018 and the new store opening is planned for summer 2018.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) will accept applications for Produce Safety Improvement Grants beginningNovember 15. Approximately $74,000 in funding is available in this round, and funds will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants. Applicants must grow, harvest, pack, or hold “covered produce” as defined by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) and have average annual produce sales of greater than $25,000 over the past three years. These capital improvement grants will support Vermont produce growers as they grow and develop on-farm produce safety improvements.

Vermont Business Magazine City Market’s long anticipated second store (207 Flynn Avenue, Burlington) opens to the public on Thursday, November 16, 2017. Regular hours at the South End store are7am to 9pmdaily with many of the same amenities the community enjoys at the Downtown store.The South End cooperative includes expanded space for produce, meat & seafood, cheese, prepared foods, indoor café seating and areas for the community to congregate. Additional amenities include over 70 bike parking spaces, 3 outdoor murals, a café that opens to the outdoors in warmer weather, improved sidewalk access, 115 parking spaces, 2 electric charging stations, a children’s discovery garden, and much more! The South End space includes a teaching kitchen and community room that the Co-op’s education team will put right to use with their December classes and events.

Vermont Business MagazineNuHarbor Security ofEssex Junction has joined CrowdStrike’s Elevate Partner Program. Along with other next-generation information security services, NuHarbor Security will offer CrowdStrike’s industry-leading endpoint protection platform to help customers stop breaches.NuHarbor Security will offer CrowdStrike’s solutions and services, all of which are intended to help businesses ensure the readiness of their cyber security posture to detect, prevent and respond to attacks. The CrowdStrike FalconPlatform revolutionizes the way organizations stop breaches and advances customers’ ability to fight off persistent and sophisticated cyber threats. CrowdStrike recently announced the addition of a broad set of sophisticated and easy-to-use APIs to support customers and partners’ ability to integrate and gain immediate value out of the technology with no added cost, friction or complexity.

Vermont Business Magazine Stowe Mountain Resort, now under ownership of the Vail Resorts, will open Friday. Vail announced today that many of its North American venues from East to West Coasts will open for the 2017-2018 ski seasonthe same day, November17.Canada'sWhistler Blackcomb,North America'slargest resort, will open for the season with three feet of base snow, whileVermont'sStowe Mountain Resort will open summit-to-base skiing on the resort's world-renowned MtMansfield. The Lake Tahoe Region's Heavenly Mountain Resort will also openFriday.

This Friday's opening day lineup follows the opening ofColorado'sBreckenridgeand Keystone Resorts, which began their ski seasons November 10. The two resorts have announced additional ski terrain will be available to guests for the coming weekend.