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Vermont Business Magazine Average gasoline prices in Vermont are $3.13 per gallon, down 0.9 cents per gallon from last week's $3.13/g. The lowest price in the state yesterday was $2.47/g while the highest was $3.29/g, a difference of 82.0 cents per gallon. The national average price of gasoline has fallen 3.8 cents per gallon in the last week, averaging $3.14/g today. The national average is up 1.1 cents per gallon from a month ago and stands 32.1 cents per gallon lower than a year ago.

Vermont Business Magazine Dairy processors can now apply for the Dairy Processor Modernization Grant. This $1 million investment aims to strengthen Northeast processing capabilities and respond to consumer demand for regional dairy products. Offered through the Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC), this funding will allow dairy processors to purchase specialized equipment to expand capacity, boost efficiency, lower energy consumption, improve existing products, and create new, high-value dairy products for the region. Grants will range from $15,000 to $250,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Approximately $1,000,000 in total funds are available.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending June 21, 2025, more than doubled last week. New claims were 648, up 343 claims from the week before but down 302 from last year at this time. Claims, which tend to be lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. In Vermont for the weekly report, the Service industry accounted for the most claims last week with 50%, down 7 points from the previous week. Construction was 2%, unchanged. Manufacturing accounted for 28% of claims, down 20 points. For the week, Vermont total unemployment insurance claims were 3,028 (up 292 for the week and up 100 from this time last year). 

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) today gave remarks on the floor of the Senate opposing President Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill" which is a gift to the billionaire class while causing massive pain for working families. M. President: President Trump’s so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill,” now on the floor of the Senate, is the most dangerous piece of legislation in the modern history of our country. It is a gift to the billionaire class, while causing massive pain for low income and working class Americans. Actually though, M. President, I’m wrong. This is not a gift to the billionaire class. They paid for it.

Vermont Business Magazine Burke Mountain Resort’s new ownership has partnered with the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law and Graduate School to reduce its high energy costs and explore sustainable solutions. After nearly a decade of operating in receivership, Burke Mountain Resort is ready for a dynamic revival that will reinvigorate the local economy and renew the cherished local mountain’s role as a major regional employer and tourist destination. Through this collaboration, the IEE will deliver policy and legal services focused on cost-effective energy efficiency and renewable energy integration.

Vermont Business Magazine Hundreds of business-minded community members gathered at Hula to support LaunchVT’s 2025 cohort at Demo Night, the program’s annual pitch competition and celebration of entrepreneurship. The 2025 cohort presented their startups to the audience and a panel of investor judges, including Byron Batres, Louisa Schibli, and Tim Wall. Two businesses walked away with cash awards, and all will receive professional services from local businesses worth tens of thousands of dollars. Demo Night marks the end of LaunchVT’s annual twelve-week intensive accelerator program, where entrepreneurs in the cohort work with dedicated business coaches and strategic advisors to address their startup’s most pressing needs, including refining their business models, developing their go-to-market strategies, and preparing for future fundraising and investment.  

Vermont Business Magazine John W. Danforth Company, one of the largest mechanical contractors in the northeast, is establishing an official presence in Vermont, with the opening of a new office in Williston. The office is Danforth’s sixth regional office and its first in Vermont. Located at 20 Clif’s Court, Danforth’s office features 3,000 square feet of professional office space and a 7,600-square-foot pipe fabrication shop. The company aims to employ 10-15 office personnel, including operations, sales estimating and service professionals. In addition, Danforth estimates having 40-60 field workers, including both piping and sheet metal workers, based on workload.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont State University (VTSU) Provost Nolan Atkins will retire at the end of the next academic year, the university announced today. His retirement comes after a nearly 30-year career in higher education, including nearly two decades of commitment and service to Vermont State University and its legacy institutions. Dr. Atkins will remain on as a consultant following the 2026 academic year to assist the University in its continuing accreditation work. Dr. Atkins’ career includes twenty years at the former Lyndon State College, where he served as a faculty member, chair of the atmospheric science department, interim academic dean, and interim president. He was an invaluable contributor to the unification of Lyndon State College and Johnson State College in 2016, playing a key role as provost of what was then Northern Vermont University. 

Vermont Business Magazine Colchester-based Vermont Public has won four national awards for its coverage in 2024 from the Public Media Journalists Association. “When we talk about the value of public media and public service journalism, we don’t mean just one thing,” said Angela Evancie, Vermont Public’s senior vice president of content. “These awards showcase the wide range of work we undertake on behalf of our audience, from investigative reporting and issue-driven campaign coverage to cultural exploration and interviews that bridge divides.” The PMJA Awards is the only national competition devoted to recognizing the best work in public media journalism.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today signed H.480, the "phone-free" in schools bill that has received wide support in Vermont and nationally. As of June 2025, 14 states have active laws or executive orders that ban or restrict cell phone use in schools. Proponents argue that it benefits student attainment and improves mental health. Scott said: "We need kids to be focused on learning, interacting with their peers, teachers, and friends while they’re at school. And it’s clear now that phones can get in the way of important conversations and class discussions and can also be used for harmful interactions, like bullying."

Vermont Business Magazine The United States Attorney’s Office announced that 12 defendants have been sentenced in connection with drug and firearm charges related to a conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl between March and November 2022 in Springfield, Vermont. The last sentencing occurred June 16, 2025. All twelve defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges including conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The drug conspiracy involved distribution of controlled substances on Valley Street in Springfield, Vermont and elsewhere. The conspirators armed themselves with firearms in furtherance of the conspiracy. At certain times, firearms were discharged in Springfield in connection with the drug trafficking activity. 

by Burlington Mayor, Emma Mulvaney-Stanak Wednesday night, the City Council unanimously approved Burlington’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget. This budget reflects my commitment to affordability. There is no question that this was another challenging budget year as we faced another gap, this one being $9.8M. When we closed the $14.2M gap last year, we knew that difficult decisions were ahead due to chronic structural budgetary gaps that have been building for decades. Indeed, this year, we had to make the difficult decision to cut 25 positions and end/reduce several programs. We needed to make these decisions, but that did not make them any easier. I want to talk a little bit about how we got here, what we are doing about it, and where we go next.