Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of Superior Technical Ceramics(STC) based in St Albans today announced former Weidmann executive John Goodrichhas been named president, effective October 1st.He will take up the role asRichard Feeserembraces retirement, having served a distinguished32-year career withSuperior Technical Ceramics. Throughout his over 40 years of service in the ceramics industry, the last 32 of which he spent at STC, Feeser has shown a passion for driving ever higher levels of customer satisfaction and has been instrumental in developing innovative and profitable new product lines.Critically, he provided a well managed transition in leadership following the death of the company's founder.He has achieved all this while respecting the firm's employees, valued suppliers, and ultimately, STC customers, who remain the firm's lifeblood.

Vermont Business MagazineBar Harbor Bankshares (NYSE American:BHB) reported third quarter GAAP earnings of $8.6 million, or 56 cents per share. Core earnings totaled $8.8 million or 57 cents per share representing a 10% increase over the prior quarter. This increase reflects the strength of the company's now expanded footprint. Bar Harbor bought Lake Sunapee Bank last January.Lake Sunapee Bank has branches in central Vermont and New Hampshire.

Vermont Business Magazine Today Thumbtack released the grades from its 2017 Small Business Friendliness Survey, the largest continuous study of small business perceptions of government policy in the US. On overall small business friendliness, Vermont ranked 16 (out of 50), earning an "A-"; in 2013 the state received an "F." Much of Vermont's high ranking this time relative to other states, despite many bad grades on other measures, is due to the excellence of its government web sites.

by John McClaughryBack in 1999 Robert Reich, President Clinton’s very liberal ex-Secretary of Labor, penned an op ed piece that said, “The era of big government may be over, but the era of regulation through litigation has just begun.”

Reich argued that Congress, since 1994 under the control of pro-business Republicans, will not enact liberal proposals for regulating and taxing the tobacco and firearms industries, and it won’t change the antitrust laws to benefit the competitors of Microsoft. Therefore, wrote Reich, forget Congress - we’ll sue. He conceded that this regulation through litigation isn’t efficient, and may not serve the public interest, but “perhaps regulating through lawsuits is better than not regulating at all.”

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) and Green Mountain Academy for Lifelong Learning (GMALL) will partner to present a “Medicine Today” lecture about antibiotic resistance.The talk,The Fight Against Antibiotic Resistance,will be co-presented by Dr. Michael Calderwood, a specialist in infectious disease at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Dr. Marie George, a specialist in infectious disease with SVMC Infectious Disease, which is now a part of the SVMC Multispecialty Practice.

The talk will be held5:30 – 7 p.m. Monday, November 13, 2017, at Equinox Village, at49 Maple Streetin Manchester Center, VT. The event is free, but advanced registration is required. Visit the science section of the programs tab atwww.greenmtnacademy.orgto register.

Vermont Business MagazineNorthern Vermont University-Johnson’s biannual Integrative Medicine Day will be8:30 am-4 pmNov4at McClelland Hall on campus.The event, which will include group sessions on varied wellness, healing and stress-reduction approaches, is free for prospective students and their families interested in NVU-Johnson’s Wellness & Alternative Medicine (WAM) Bachelor of Science program. High school students may attend a WAM homeopathy class, talk with current WAM students, and go to sessions on music therapy, yoga, healing with horses and plants, and other treatments and techniques.

Integrative medicine, which employs conventional and alternative treatments, is used in some major U.S. hospitals. Alternative medicine uses natural, non-invasive approaches including nutrition, herbalism and homeopathy.

Vermont Business Magazine Attorney General TJ Donovanjoined a coalition of Attorneys General in opposing the US Department of Labor’s efforts to roll back overtime pay protections for25,000 Vermonters and millions of Americans. The attorneys general submitted comments in response to the US Department of Labor’s (USDOL) Request for Information concerning the executive, administrative, and professional (EAP) exemptions to the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).By this action, the USDOL threatens to roll back the Obama administration’s rule that expanded overtime compensation for workers by raising the salary level test that would limit the number of employees who qualify for the FLSA exemptions.

Vermont Business Magazine The Snelling Center for Government has announced the Vermont Leadership Institute Class of 2018. The Class of 2018 is comprised of 23 associates from across the state who represent a wide variety of organizations from the public, private and non-profit sectors. The Snelling Center for Government is a non-partisan, non-profit organization committed to fostering responsible and ethical civic leadership, encouraging public service by private citizens, and promoting informed citizen participation in shaping public policy in Vermont.

Vermont Leadership Institute Class of 2018

Vermont Business MagazineCondé Nast Travelerreaders have rated the top hotels in New England for 2017 and six prestigious Vermont lodging properties were among the 40 that were recognized. Five Vermont properties, including Hotel Vermont of Burlington at No. 4, were named among the Top 20 hotels inCondé Nast Traveler’sTop Hotels in New England: Readers’ Choice Awards. This is the third year in a row that Hotel Vermont has been honored in the Top 5 of these rankings.

Hotel Vermont in Burlington. Courtesy of Hotel Vermont.

Rounding out Vermont’s presence in the rankings were The Pitcher Inn of Warren at No. 12, Twin Farms of Barnard at No. 15, Windham Hill Inn of West Townshend at No. 17, Kimpton Taconic Hotel of Manchester at No. 18, and Field Guide of Stowe at No. 23.

Vermont Business Magazine The Addison County Economic Development Corporation (ACEDC) Board of Directors has appointedFred Kenney as its new Executive Director. Kenney replaces Robin Scheu, who is retiring after nine years leading economic development in Addison County. In 2001,Kenneywas appointed as Executive Director of the Vermont Economic Progress Council (VEPC), providing statewide economic development strategic planning and administering the Vermont Employment Growth Incentive Program, the Tax Increment Financing Program, and the Windham County Economic Development program.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Recycling Council (NERC), based in Brattleboro, has been awarded $65,638 from the USDepartment of Agriculture, Rural Utility Services Solid Waste Management Grant Program, to implement food waste, organics, and manure management in rural Maryland communities. The goal of the project is to assist rural communities to improve solid waste planning and management, leading to reductions in solid waste generation and water pollution. Stakeholders in the Maryland counties of Allegany and Cecil will be engaged to implement best management practices for food waste reduction, organics, and manure management. Through webinars and outreach, the project will benefit other regions of Maryland, as well as the Northeast and the country.

Vermont Business MagazineBerkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc(NYSE: BHLB), the parent company of Berkshire Bank with branches in southern Vermont, has reported third quarter 2017 net income of $22.9 million, or $0.57 per share and core earnings of $23.6 million, or $0.59 per share. Net income was up 40% year-over-year, while core earnings grew 35% due to the benefit of business expansion. Net income per share increased by 8%, while core EPS increased by 4%. Net income was impacted by net non-core charges related primarily to acquisitions. Core earnings related measures are non-GAAP measures that exclude these charges and other non-ordinary items