Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Sophie Brochu, President and CEO of Gaz Métro, and Pierre Gabriel Côté, President and CEO of Investissement Québec announced Monday that the new liquefied natural gas (LNG) production capacity of Gaz Métro GNL, a subsidiary of Gaz Métro and Investissement Québec, is now available at the Gaz Métro liquefaction plant located in Montréal, which is distributed in Canada and into New England, but not yet in Vermont.

Vermont Business MagazineNational Life celebrated its “Do Good” culture in itsannual report, marking records set both in the business and in the company’s commitment to the communities it serves. An interactive version of the 2016 annual report was posted online in advance of National Life’s annual meeting in mid-May. “We had another outstanding year and this report reflects that success,” said Mehran Assadi, National Life President and CEO. “We believe strongly in our cause to Do Good. We’re proud to say that’s good for business and good for our neighbors.”

Among the accomplishments noted in the report:

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) released the following statement Wednesday after President Donald Trump released his plan for tax reform. Below Sanders' statement is the briefing held for the White House press corps Wendesday afternoon that describes and discusses the tax plan. Among other things, it reduces the number of tax brackets, eliminates the Estate Tax, closes some loopholes and overall will reduce both the personal and corporate taxes in order to stimulate the economy.

Vermont Business Magazine SmartAsset, a national data aggregator, has ranked Vermont the fifth best for K-12 education, making an overall grade of "A-," largely based on the state spending more per child than any other state. Nationwide, the average public school revenue per student enrolled during the 2014-2015 school year was$12,578, according to theNational Education Association (the teachers union). Funding per student in Vermont ($27,962) is more than twice the national average. Vermont also ranked first for its low student-teacher ratio. Data from the NEA reveals that there are fewer than 10 students for every K-12 public school teacher. Additionally, the state’s four-year high school graduation rate is a relatively high 88 percent. The state lost ground in the ranking by having a relatively low college attendance rate (54 percent).

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University will break ground on a new academic building—Mack Hall—as well as renovations to Webb, Dewey and Ainsworth Halls in a combined $48.5 million project, at a ceremony on Friday, April 28. At 5:30 pm, community members will assemble at the west side corridor of Webb Hall to celebrate the start of the two-year construction project. The new building, named for Robert B. ’64, H ’06, trustee emeritus and Tammie Mack, is slated to open in August 2018. When this entire project is completed in 2019, 40 percent of all academic space on campus will be new or have had a complete upgrade or renovation.

Alan F DeForest ’75 & P ’01, chairman of the board of trustees; Deborah E. McNally, Class of 2018; and President Richard W. Schneider will give remarks to mark the occasion.

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today joined Chittenden County State’s Attorney Sarah George, Vermont State Police Criminal Division Commander Major Glenn Hall, and representatives from the Burlington, Colchester, South Burlington, and Winooski Police Departments in expressing support for S22, an act relating to increased penalties for knowingly dispensing, selling, or possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl.

“Fentanyl traffickers are here and sowing great damage in our community,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “Vermont police and prosecutors need updated laws to confront them. This is a time for urgent action, not study.”

Public Assets Institute For all of their public hand-wringing over property taxes, legislators and even the governor seem almost cavalier in their willingness to ask property owners to pay more.

Vermont Business MagazineSuperior Technical Ceramics (STC) of St Albans, a market leader in technical ceramic material solutions, now offers high purity, large scale alumina blanks to support up to 450mm Semiconductor needs, as well as sizable alumina and zirconia tubes for the Oil & Gas and Energy Industries. This newly formed work cell offers access to an isopress with a 30" OD x 48" L chamber, along with vertical mills, lathes and kilns to provide a cost efficient, high quality product.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Attorney General TJDonovan joined with 13 other Attorneys General in signing a letter to President Trump urging that the United States reconfirm its commitment to the Paris Agreement. The Paris Agreement on climate change was negotiated under American leadership and adopted by the vast majority of the world’s countries at the COP21 in Paris last December. All the ratifying countries vowed to work to address and limit climate change.

In the letter, the Attorneys General note that climate change is a threat to national security, the economy and every citizen’s health and well-being, and urge the President to maintain the United States’ commitment to the groundbreaking agreement:

Vermont Business Magazine TheUS Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the University of Vermont as a conference champion of the 2016-17 College & University Green Power Challenge for using more green power than any other school in the America East athletic conference. Green power is zero-emissions electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, eligible biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. Using green power helps accelerate the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide and helps users reduce their carbon footprints.

Since April 2006, EPA’s Green Power Partnership has tracked and recognized the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power use within the program. The Individual Conference Champion Award recognizes the school that uses the most green power in a qualifying conference.

Vermont Business Magazine Former House Speaker Shap Smith and Sam & Mary Miller are the winners of this year’s David W Curtis Leadership Awards. The award is given to "outstanding" Vermont Democrats and the winners will be celebrated on May 5th at the 18th Annual David W Curtis Awards at the Burlington Hilton. Guest speaker will be New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Vermont Business Magazine Frustrated by the increasing pressures on independent doctors to sell out to hospitals and health systems, a group of doctors from HealthFirst, Vermont’s largest independent physician group, has joined the Association of Independent Doctors, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping private practices survive. The move establishes the Vermont Chapter of AID, while reinforcing HealthFirst’s resolve to do what’s best for patients and help independent doctors maintain their small practices. The head of Vermont's largest hospital organization said they've only acquired private practices when they've been approached by the doctors themselves.