Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Through a grant provided by the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as part of the State’s Clean Water Initiative, the Town of Underhill and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) will develop a Stormwater Master Plan for the Town. This type of planning is needed as development pressure is exerted on the Town due to its proximity to employment centers in central Chittenden County.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott joined Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, and Congressman Peter Welch today in welcoming a $2 million federal grant to increase access to opioid misuse prevention, treatment and recovery services for Vermonters. In a letter to Governor Scott, US Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said the funding is the first of two rounds as provided for in the 21st Century Cures Act. The funds will be allocated through the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis Grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Vermont Business Magazine Sometimes in sports, "a tie is as good as a win," but in the case of Governor Phil Scott's proposal to roll all local teacher health insurance contracts into one state plan, a tie vote in the House Wednesday night was a loss. An amendment to an existing bill to create a statewide teacher health insurance plan was defeated when Speaker Mitzi Johnson cast the tying vote on the amendment. A clear majority is required to add an amendment. The House then added an amendment supported by Democratic leadership that would take anticipated savings on school health care plans negotiated district-by-district across the state and put them against the statewide property tax. The governor called that plan a "hope and a prayer," in a VPR interview. At issue is what both sides agree is the prospect of $26 million in savings to property tax payers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Public Service Department today announced the next meeting of the Nuclear Decommissioning Citizens Advisory Panel (NDCAP) will be held on Thursday, May 25, 2017, from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM in the multipurpose room at Brattleboro Area Middle School at 109 Sunny Acres in Brattleboro. Representatives from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will be in attendance to take public comment on the proposed sale of Vermont Yankee, specifically the license transfer application filed by Entergy and NorthStar and NorthStar’s revised Post Shutdown Decommissioning Activities Report (PSDAR).

Vermont Business Magazine Newport and Bennington area residents will soon receive free trees to plant in their yard through Energy Saving Trees, an Arbor Day Foundation program. The trees will help to cool homes in the summer, saving homeowners money on energy costs in the process. The tree giveaway is being coordinated by the Vermont Urban & Community Forestry Program, a partnership between the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, University of Vermont Extension, and the Vermont Department of Health’s Climate & Health Program.

Vermont Business Magazine This year marks the state’s 47^th annual Green Up Day, during which Vermonters collect litter and debris left behind by the spring snow melts on city streets and in our parks and neighborhoods. Mayor Miro Weinberger, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Executive Director Phelan Fretz, Burlington Electric Department General Manager Neale Lunderville, City Sustainability Coordinator Jennifer Green, Skinny Pancake Founder and Owner Benjy Adler, and Edmunds Elementary School first, third, and fourth graders on Wednesday encouraged community participation in the City of Burlington’s Green Up Day efforts this Saturday, May 6.

Public Assets InstituteA newstudyranked Vermont the #1 state to raise healthy kids. That’s the good news. Vermont often ranks high on quality of life surveys (here,hereandhere, for example). The question is: Can Vermont stay on top if it continues to cut state services and postpone investments? The study looked at three broad categories: 1) kids’ health and access to health care; 2) kids’ nutrition, physical activity and obesity; and 3) kids’ oral health. Vermont ranked #1, #1 and #5 respectively.

Vermont Business Magazine Land O'Lakes, Inctoday reported quarterly net sales of$3.7 billionand net earnings of$110 millionin the first quarter endingMarch 31, 2017, compared with 2016 first quarter net sales of$3.6 billionand net earnings of$104 million. The strong first quarter earnings come on the heels of a record year in 2016 when the company reported$320 millionin net earnings on$13.2 billionin sales. The food giant bought Vermont Creamery in Websterville in March for an undisclosed amount.

Vermont Business Magazine Nokian Tyres announced today plans to construct its first North American factory. The Finnish tire manufacturer, whose North American Sales Office is located in Colchester, will invest $360 million into the future plant, to be built in Dayton, Tennessee. Ground will break on the facility early next year with completion in 2020. Nokian has 60 employees in Vermont.

Up to 400 new jobs will be created at the Tennessee plant, in areas including quality control, logistics, shipping, manufacturing, building services and administration. In order to support this growth the North American Sales Office in Colchester will continue to expand its workforce.

Vermont Business MagazineGil Livingston, president of the Vermont Land Trust (VLT) for the past 10 years, will be leaving the organization at the end of 2017 to continue meaningful, focused work in the national conservation arena. Livingston has been with the land trust for 26 years; in that time he has contributed greatly to the conservation of farmland, forests, and land important for recreation and community, the VLT said in a press release.

Gil Livingston, left, with Mayor Miro Weinberger at the proposed Burlington College park in February 2016. Photo courtesy City of Burlington.

Vermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce have announced the three finalists for the Deane C Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award: Marathon Health, Union Mutual and Vermont Creamery.One of these impressive finalists will be named the Deane C Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year on Thursday, May 11 in an awards presentation ceremony at the Sheraton Burlington Conference Center at 7:30 pm. The announcement will come during the 2017 Best of Business (BOB) Awards.

This year’s finalists exemplify the resourcefulness, innovation and success of Vermont’s businesses. They all share a dedication to their employees, communities and Vermont’s natural environment. Each represents a unique story of vision, commitment and growth.

Marathon Health

Vermont Business Magazine House Speaker Mitzi Johnson wants to finish the legislative session by as early as next week, if not by this weekend, but Governor Phil Scott is continuing to push his plan for a statewide teacher health insurance contract, which he says will preserve benefits for teachers and save the state $26 million a year by creating one, large risk pool out of the new, lower ObamaCare health premiums. The House Republicans are standing with the governor even as Senate Democrats have dismissed the plan. The ultimate leverage the governor can employ is use of the veto, but in the meantime he is still trying to convince at least enough House Democrats to join him. The teachers union opposes the plan because it contends it will harm local control of the collective bargaining process.