Current News

Vermont Business Magazine One of the nation's largest auto parts dealers is buying Vermont's largest one. Bond Auto Parts of Barre has entered into a definitive agreement to be purchased by O’Reilly Auto Parts, based in Springfield, Missouri. The deal was consumated on September 30 and announced on O'Reilly's Q3 report October 26 and then on Bond's website the next day. The agreement is for O’Reilly to purchase substantially all of the assets of Bond Auto Parts, Inc. Financial terms of the deal are expected after it closes. O’Reilly is a leading retailer in the automotive aftermarket industry and has a very similar strategy and management philosophy as Bond Auto Parts. Bond said in a statement that the acquisition will bring better inventory and availability to its customers and more growth opportunity and industry horsepower to its stores.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Oxford Network (VON) and the National Association for Neonatal Nurses (NANN) have announced that the acclaimed VON Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Universal Education and Training Program, available online to individuals, centers, states, and health systems, has now been endorsed by NANN as the new standard of care for opiate-exposed infants and families. This evidence-based program has already been completed by 52 centers who earned the VON Center of Excellence in NAS Education and Training designation by training 85 percent or more of their designated care team.

Vermont Business Magazine The secured creditor for the now defunct Burlington College has retained the Thomas Hirchak Company Auctioneers to sell assets of the former educational institution. Hirchak announced the auction today. The public auction is comprised of more than 600 lots to include equipment and furnishings, hearthstone hardwood executive desks with granite tops, credenzas, office and lounge seating, computers, digital and film cameras, AV equipment, flat screen televisions, contemporary computer desks, stage lighting, film production equipment, cafeteria seating, a library collection, office supplies, handmade hardwood furniture, shelving, a stainless steel 3-bay sink, an upright refrigerator and freezer,  a 3,600 sq. ft. tent, and much more.

Vermont Business Magazine Inntopia, the Stowe-based travel industry’s leading eCommerce and central reservation provider, has acquired Ryan Solutions, a leading customer relationship management (CRM) and database marketing provider for the travel industry. The acquisition brings together two companies with complementary products, shared customers, and most importantly, a similar vision and desire to develop the best technology solutions in the travel industry. The two companies already share roughly half their client base, which includes some of the best-known names in the ski industry, and more recently in golf, and parks and attractions. The acquisition brings Inntopia’s total employee count to over sixty five. Inntopia will continue to operate out of its headquarters in Stowe, Vermont, with an additional office in Burlington, Vermont, and now Edwards, Colorado, where Ryan Solutions is headquartered.

Vermont Business Magazine Yesterday the Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA) submitted a report to the Health Reform Oversight and Joint Fiscal committees detailing DVHA’s increased Medicaid payments for the Enhanced Primacy Care Program (EPCP). The new payment structure results in a net increase of approximately 8.9 percent to eligible primary care providers.

Vermont Business Magazine The health of babies in the United States has taken a step backward as the nation's preterm birth rate worsened for the first time in eight years, the March of Dimes said today. The US earned a "C" grade on the latest March of Dimes Premature Birth Report Card amidst widening differences in prematurity rates across different races and ethnicities. Vermont, which has the lowest rate in the nation at 7.3 percent, was one of four states, along with New Hampshire, to earn an "A" grade

Vermont Business Magazine Ledyard Financial Group, Inc (ticker symbol LFGP), the holding company for Ledyard National Bank, today reported quarterly earnings for the third quarter of 2016. Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2016, was $1,073,721 or $1.06 per share compared to $1,032,884 or $1.01 per share for the same period in 2015, an increase of $40,837 or 4%. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 was $3,141,198 or $3.07 per share compared to $3,174,165 or $3.11 per share for the same period in 2015, a decrease of $32,967 or 1%. Ledyard National Bank has an office in Norwich, Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine For the 6th consecutive year, The University of Vermont Medical Center is being recognized as a top performer among leading academic medical centers participating in the annual Vizient Quality and Accountability Study, recognized as the most rigorous and credible analysis of its kind. Vizient, Inc. is the largest member-driven health care performance improvement company in the country.

Vermont Business Magazine Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is proud to announce that Barbara M. Richardson, MSN, RN-BC, CCRN, is one of five nurses named as a 2016 American Nurses Credentialing Center National Magnet Nurse of the Year®. The award was bestowed for Richardson’s commitment to structural empowerment, one of the five tenants of the Magnet model. 

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont state Auditor of Accounts Doug Hoffer last week released the latest on a series of audits on how state government operates and the costs associated with it. As regards the funding of the state’s many websites, the audit concludes that there is neither clear oversight of the fees, nor is there clear legislation on how that oversight should take place and how the user fees should be determined. Not all the fees charged have been approved as required by legislation, he says in the report. However, the department heads involved believe not all fees need prior approval.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims rose last week for the third week. Most sectors were up across the board, except for Manufacturing, which was down after spiking the week before. After running at a very low level during the latter part of the summer, overall claims have increased steadily the last two weeks. For the week of October 22, 2016, there were 618 claims, up 47 from the previous week's total and 8 more than than they were a year ago.

Altogether 3,400 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 221 from a week ago, and 12 more than a year ago.

The Department processed 0 First Tier claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008 (EUC08).

Vermont Business Magazine The website “RealClearPolitics” reports that 76.3 percent of Americans disapprove of the job that the United States Congress is doing. It really doesn’t matter which political party controls Congress — the disapproval rating always remains high. Americans are fed up with Congress and how it conducts its business. They want change. But if the results of this upcoming election are similar to other elections, then nearly 96 percent of incumbent members of Congress will be re-elected. It’s unlikely that significant change will occur. After all, these are the same politicians that have perpetuated gridlock.