Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Auto-Owners Insurance and Concord General Mutual Insurance have announced that their affiliation has been approved effectiveApril 1, 2017, by policyholders and all regulatory bodies. Auto-Owners is an AMBest A++ (Superior) rated multi-line property and casualty insurer, operating solely through independent agencies in 26 states. New Hampshire-based Concord General Mutual Insurance is a leading property and casualty insurance provider through independent agencies inVermont,Maine,New HampshireandMassachusetts.Michigan-based Auto-Owners also owns a life company and an excess & surplus lines company.

"The combining of capabilities will allow us to expand our product and premium base and help support theConcordname in the (New England) region," saidLinda Day,Concord'spresident and CEO.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Colleges System Board of Trustees inducted its second alumni Hall of Fame class and raised over $110,000 for student scholarships. “The strong show of support for the Vermont State Colleges and our students exceeded our expectations. We are very grateful for the recognition of the critical role the VSC plays in the state’s economy and in opening doors of opportunity for Vermonters,” said VSC Chancellor Jeb Spaulding.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont State Police Tuesday arrested 65 individuals as part of a coordinated statewide arrest warrant sweep, according to a VSP statement issued Tuesday night. All of these individuals have pending criminal charges in Superior Court (felonies and misdemeanors) and failed to uphold their court obligations which resulted in warrants being issued for their arrest.

According to the statement, troopers from all ten Vermont State Police field stations were joined by local police officers, county sheriff's, game wardens, DMV officers, and federal law enforcement to make today's coordinated arrests.In addition, one person was arrested in Enosburg for hindering the arrest of a wanted person who was found hiding in their residence. The Vermont State’s Attorney offices and Vermont Department of Corrections also assisted throughout the state.

Vermont Business Magazine Change The Story VT (CTS) has unveiled its new status report, “Vermont Women and Leadership,” as part of an Equal Pay Day event on Tuesday at the Vermont State House. The new report, relying on primary research from multiple sources and contributors, focuses specifically on recent Vermont data that paints a very mixed picture of gender parity in leadership positions in the state. By some measures, Vermont is a national pacesetter in its share of women in key leadership positions. By others, women’s leadership status lags behind other states. Overall, Vermont women have yet to achieve equal representation as leaders in any but a few political, civic or professional realms.

Vermont Business Magazine The following are Public Alerts submitted by Wastewater Treatment Facilities to Vermont Watershed Management in the Department of Environmental Conservation at the Agency of Natural Resources for prompt public awareness of untreated discharges and their locations. Most are in Rutland and Chittenden counties.

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Rep Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) introduced legislation Monday to make public colleges and universities tuition-free for working families and to significantly reduce student debt. “Higher education in America should be a right for all, not a privilege for the few,” Sanders said. “If we are to succeed in a highly competitive global economy and have the best-educated workforce in the world, public colleges and universities must become tuition-free for working families and we must substantially reduce student debt.”

Vermont Business Magazine Pride Center of Vermont is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan L Hartman as Executive Director effective May 1, 2017. Hartman comes to the Pride Center from Fayetteville, Arkansas. She was most recently Executive Director of The Art Experience Inc, an organization that promotes healing and growth through expressive arts.

Hartman also served as Executive Director of the Northwest Arkansas Center for Equality, Director of Crisis Services for the Arkansas Crisis Center, Executive Director of Therapetics Service Dogs of Oklahoma, Food & Fund Drive Manager for the Community Food Bank of Eastern Oklahoma, Director of Development for the North Arkansas Council of Girl Scouts of America, Executive Director of the NWA Rape Crisis Center and Manager of Volunteer Program & Communications for the Project for Victims of Family Violence in Fayetteville.

Vermont Business MagazineThe 2017 Best of Business Awards (BOB Awards) winners have been announced byVermont Business Magazine. This awards program celebrates the best Vermont companies in more than 100 business-to-business categories, as chosen byVBMreaders. Starting in January 2017 and closing on March 1st,VBMsurveyed its magazine and digital subscribers.

Vermont Business MagazineThe USSki and Snowboard Association announced today it is moving forward with hosting Audi FIS Ski World Cup stops at Killington Resort and Beaver Creek Resort during the 2017-18 season. Both resorts are part of a comprehensive USSA event calendar that will be presented to the International Ski Federation during its annual meetings next month in Portoroz, Slovenia.According toMountain Times,Killington PresidentMike Solimano announced to the local community Monday evening that the resort had signed a two-year deal to host a World Cup event. Last year's race saw Burke Mountain Academy grad, gold medalist and World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin win an emotional slalom at Killington.

Vermont Business Magazine A capacity crowd of employers, business leaders, wellness experts and human resource professionals attended Vermont’s annual Worksite Wellness conference held March 23 at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington. Governor Phil Scott, Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD, and Janet Franz, chair of the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, kicked off the sold-out conference, which features awards presented by the governor to 90 employers that have demonstrated excellence in worksite wellness.

Vermont Business Magazine COTS and Housing Vermont re-opened the COTS building at 95 North Avenue following an $8.2 million, extensive renovation. COTS and Housing Vermont partnered on the capital project to rebuild a permanent home for the COTS Daystation, the nonprofit’s daytime center for homeless adults to connect with services; create 14 affordable apartments; and renovate COTS’ program spaces for its homelessness prevention initiative (the COTS Housing Resource Center), and family and adult services, making them fully accessible and more energy efficient. COTS will annually serve more than 2,600 people facing homelessness from its new facility.

Mayor Miro Weinberger Delivers 2017 State of the City Address
Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger on Monday evening delivered the State of the City Address in City Hall’s Contois Auditorium, during which he said that the State of the City is strong and advancing towards an even brighter, increasingly dynamic, and more just future. But he also warned of the negative impact that retrenchment by the federal government on immigration, environmental issues, including the cleanup of Lake Champlain, and funding for law enforcement could have on the city.