Current News

Vermont Business MagazineJanuary isLearn toSkiand Snowboard Month, and with fresh snow on the ground, Sugarbush Resort is ready to hostPost-9/11 Veterans, Service Members and their Families for a free day of skiing and riding on Sunday, January 8, 2017. The free day of winter fun is made possible through Sugarbush’s ongoing partnership with Home Base, a Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Program. Sugarbush will provide equipment (including adaptive ski gear), instructors, lift tickets and lessons for all participants.

Mt Ellen Sugarbush photo

Vermont Business Magazine Bill Shouldice, CEO of Vermont Teddy Bear and Chair of the Vermont Chamber Foundation, unveiled A Vision for Vermont's Economy, a new report from The Vermont Futures Project at the Vermont Economic Conference n Friday morning at the Hilton Burlington. The report by The Vermont Futures Project reflects conversations with nearly 500 Vermonters about the current Vermont economy and what is needed to secure Vermont's economic future.

Vermont Business MagazineWeekly unemployment claims stayed at their post-holiday level as service companies shed short-term workers. Claims also were higher than last year at this time. While Services reported the most claims, Manufacturing doubled for the week to an unusually high 444 claims.

The holidays typically produce wild swings in unemployment claims, because of an increase in hiring in the Service sector, from retail to delivery-related businesses, and then an abrupt round of layoffs.

For the week of December 31, 2016, there were 1,531 claims, down 2 from the previous week's total but 379 more than than they were a year ago (1,152). The previous week's totals were much lower than the previous year, so this could be just a timing lag.

Vermont Business MagazineThe Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department says preliminary numbers show 16,160 deer were taken during Vermont's 2016 deer hunting seasons. Reports from big game check stations indicate hunters had successful deer seasons in 2016, taking 3,447 deer in archery season, 1,438 in youth season, 7,725 in rifle season, and 3,550 in muzzleloader season. The 16,160 deer brought home by hunters yielded more than 3 million meals of local nutritious venison.

Youth deer hunting, fish & Wildlife file photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington School District’s recent audit revealed that the District is deficit-free for the second consecutive year. School Board Chair Mark Porter applauded the results, saying“The strong financial progress signals a shift from deficit spending towards consistent budget oversight.This pattern of increased financial stability over the past two years has our District poised to make exciting new investments in our students and programs."

Superintendent Yaw Obeng further commented "I am encouraged by the disciplined financial management exhibited by the Board and District. This work builds on the recommendations regarding resource management in my 100 Day Entry Plan Report and also lays the foundation for the Strategic Planning underway in the District."

Source: Burlington School District 1.6.2017

Vermont Business Magazine New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA) has received a $75,000 matching grant from the Jane’s Trust. Jane’s Trust offered NECCA the matching grant at the end of 2015. NECCA supporters met the challenge and the match was received in December. The total raised to date is now $1.218 million toward the $2.5 million goal.

“From the beginning of this campaign four years ago, NECCA has been like The Little Engine That Could, defying all expectations,” says campaign director Lisa Barnwell Williams of Chanticleer Consulting.

“But even as we take a moment to savor how incredibly far we've come, it's important to recognize that we're only halfway there.I encourage every friend of NECCA, friend of circus, friend of Brattleboro to think hard about how you can help us reach our $2.5 million goal.”

Vermont Business Magazine How many people does it take to make a sign? Mel Martin, volunteer for New England Center for Circus Arts’ capital campaign effort, has found out over the last two years. “It’s more than one might think,” he says, “especially if it is a 12-foot diameter sign and you’ve never designed a sign before.”

Martin began designing two different signs in October 2014 for the newest custom-built circus artstrapezium building in the United States, built and located in Brattleboro, Vermont.

Mel Martin, volunteer for NECCA. NECCA photos.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Already well known for his gracious manner and conciliatory nature, Governor Phil Scott offered his first inaugural address before the Legislature at the State House on Thursday afternoon by opening with kind words for Governor Peter Shumlin's long political career. Scott, in a half-hour speech, then laid out his campaign vision for growing the economy, making Vermont more affordable and restoring faith and trust in government. He also won five standing ovations, mostly for his remarks concerning early education, the environment and continuing the fight against opiate addictions, which he credited Governor Shumlin for starting. He also garnered something of a half-ovation, in what was a Democratic-heavy body of lawmakers, by insisting that Vermont would not solve its budget problems by raising taxes.

Vermont Business Magazine Thursday, before Governor-elect Scott’s inauguration, he announced that June Tierney has been appointed as the Commissioner of Public Service and Melissa Bailey, LCMHC has been named Commissioner of Mental Health.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine The US Department of Labor issued a press release this morning that says it is suing the principals of one of Vermont's fastest-growing companies, Sonnax Industries, Inc, of Bellows Falls. The suit involves the fiduciaries of a Vermont employee stock ownership plan for violations of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act alleging that First Bankers Trust Services, Inc’s 2011 purchase of the company on behalf of the ESOP from its two previous owners caused the plan to suffer sizable financial losses.

Vermont Business Magazine US motorists may get some sticker shock in 2017 and will shell out $52 billion more over the course of the year compared to 2016 as the national yearly average rises to $2.49 per gallon, according to GasBuddy’s 2017 Fuel Price Outlook. Its Vermont Website, vermontgasprices.com is already reporting average gasoline prices this week of $2.39, up 5 cents from last week and 30 cents more than a year ago. Analysts project that gasoline prices will not return to 2016 levels for the foreseeable future.

Vermont Business MagazineShelburne-based Bullrock Corporation has announced the completion of a 2.6 Megawatt solar array in Westminster. The array consists of 7,500 panels and generates enough electricity to power over 300 homes. The site hasbeen constructed on a former gravel pit. The electricity that’s generatedby this solar field will be used the Vermont Army National Guard, who will bereceiving the benefits from this project for at least 20 years.