Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont will host the Catalysts of the Climate Economy (cc:econ), a three-day national innovation summit on September 6-8. Taking place at the University of Vermont in Burlington, the summit brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and thought leaders working to accelerate economic development by addressing climate change. Speakers at cc:econ will include Mary Powell, CEO of Green Mountain Power, and John Replogle, CEO of Seventh Generation. The summit will also feature an innovation and pitch contest for entrepreneurs, and innovation tours at exemplary Vermont locations guided by summit speakers and other changemakers.

Vermont Business Magazine Maple Grove Farms of Vermont, the largest packer of pure maple syrup in the United States, will be presented with a Vermont Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence Friday at the State House, in recognition of the company’s Zero Waste Landfill Project. Earlier this year, Maple Grove Farms received Silver level certification by the US Zero Waste Business Council, for reducing waste to landfill from 50% in 2012, to under 8% in 2016.

Vermont Business MagazineThe impact the oil and natural gas industry has on local economies is closely associated with population. Not surprisingly, Vermont has the smallest such economy. It also has no production, but does have sales and distribution. The total value of the industry here is just under $1 billion, according to a new study. The outlier inthe report is Wyoming, which has the smallest population in the US (Vermont is second smallest), but is the fourth largest producer of natural gas and seventh in oil, and, surprisingly, has by far the most coal production.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) has announce a second round of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Ag Clean Water Initiative Program (Ag-CWIP).This grant program is made possible and supported, in part, by the Clean Water Fund – a fund created by Act 64 of 2015, Vermont’s Clean Water Act.This second round of Ag-CWIP RFPs will fund organizations assisting farmers throughout the state to support planning and installation of vegetative buffers adjacent to streams, grassed waterways to prevent gully erosion in crop fields, and grazing systems to exclude livestock from surface waters.

Interested parties should visit:Agriculture.Vermont.gov/WQ-RFPfor the complete RFP documents.

Vermont Business MagazineWhite River Jct-basedgroSolar,CMS Energy,Dairyland Power Cooperative, andPrice Electric Cooperative, have beguncommercial operation of the 3.4-megawatt (MW DC)Flambeau Solar projectin Flambeau, Wisconsin. The Flambeau Solar Project features single-axis trackers that track the sun from east to west throughout the day, greatly increasing the efficiency of the project. Throughout the design and construction of the project, groSolar utilized numerous local contractors and small businesses to assist in the development of the project.

Vermont Business Magazine Kroll Bond Rating Agency, Inc (KBRA) has donated $2,500 to the Vermont Foodbank in lieu of conference giveaway items at the Vermont Captive Insurance Association Annual Conference taking place August 8-10. KBRA is a global credit rating agency committed to setting a standard of excellence and integrity. “At KBRA, we take our social responsibility very seriously, not just in our work but in our effort to support our business communities as well. We accomplish this with the assistance of our employees through KBRA Cares, our social responsibility initiative,” said Tina Bukow, senior director in KBRA’s business development group.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, June 21, members of the central Vermont community, with CVHHH staff, management, and board members, gathered at the Country Club of Barre for the 21st Annual Hospice Memorial Golf Tournament & Silent Auction. This was a record year for the tournament, with over $30,000 raised in sponsorships and donations. All proceeds from the event will support CVHHH’s hospice program.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Teddy Bear is proud to announce its newest initiative, The Vermont Cub Project. The goal of the project is for every four-year-old in Vermont to receive his or her very own Vermont Teddy Bear. Vermont Teddy Bear recognizes the importance of giving back to Vermonters and being socially responsible, which it has striven to do during its 36 years in business.

“We love living and working in Vermont,” says Bill Shouldice, CEO of The Vermont Teddy Bear Company. “Not only are we surrounded with views of the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, we are also surrounded by an amazing community filled with the friendliest people. We are constantly looking for ways to give back to our fellow Vermonters, which is why we are so excited to announce our newest effort.”

Inspiration for the Vermont Cub Project came from watching children in the Bear Shop making teddy bears and starting new friendships.

Vermont Business Magazine Mach7 Technologies, Inc has namedMichael Jackmanas itsnew Chief Executive Officer to help accelerate Mach7's vision for the future of enterprise imaging, it repoted in a statement. Jackman is an accomplished executive with nearly 30 years' experience of energizing teams, building brands and creating value in highly successful global healthcare IT businesses.

Vermont Business Magazine Land O'Lakes, Inc, the new owner of Vermont Creamery,today reported quarterly net sales of$3.7 billionand net earnings of$113 millionin the second quarter endingJune 30, 2017compared to net sales of$3.5 billionand net earnings of$134 millionfor same period in the prior year. Year-to-date net sales totaled$7.3 billionwith net earnings of$223 millioncompared to net sales of$7.1 billionand net earnings of$238 millionfor same period in the prior year. Year-to-date results include an unrealized hedging loss of$4 millionas compared to an unrealized hedging gain of$26 millionfor the same period in 2016.

"As a company focused on growth, I am pleased with the first half of the year. We are up in volume in most of our key categories," statedChris Policinski, Land O'Lakes, Inc. president and CEO. "We continue to be in a position to deliver strong full-year performance."

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Vice Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced Wednesday that Vermont organizations have been awarded three highly competitive National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) matching grants totaling $270,000. The grants, to a Brattleboro history project, the University of Vermont, and the Vermont Farmers Market Education Center, will fund projects for humanities research and public engagement.

Leahy said: “Grants like these help us foster and conserve the rich and cohesive communities that we want. These funds will help fund programs, art and stories that bring together Vermonters and give us a better understanding of our great state. I have fought hard on the Appropriations Committee to protect funding for the humanities from the drastic cuts proposed by the Trump Administration, whose priorities do not match Vermont’s priorities, or the priorities of the American people.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Agency of Natural Resources announced today that Central Vermont Motorcycles, Inc, a powersports dealer and service center in Rutland, is now required to pay a fine of $23,062 for multiple violations of Vermont Hazardous Waste Management Regulations. The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) recognizes that many businesses and important industries in Vermont generate some amount of hazardous waste during the normal course of business.