Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Campaign for Vermont Prosperity (CFV) announced the results from a statewide canvassing of legislative candidates on topics that matter to Vermonters. Candidates were asked a series of seven questions related to the economy, health care, education, and government ethics. “We were pleased by the breadth of responses,” said Executive Director Ben Kinsley. “A number of key legislators weighed in and there was representation from all three major parties.” CFV distributed the questionnaire to give candidates a platform to share their ideas with CFV’s network of nearly 20,000 Vermonters and to foster a more informed and engaged electorate.

Vermont Business Magazine Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) partnered with Mamava of Burlington, Vt. to support breastfeeding moms who shop and work at the University Mall. On September 12 the two companies held a successful launch event to unveil the University Mall’s first Mamava suite, a modular suite designed to offer a quiet and clean space to pump or breastfeed.

Vermont Business Magazine On November 19th, the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum will induct four pioneers in Vermont's long ski and ride history into the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. The special "Schuss" celebration honoring them will be held at the Stoweflake resort in Stowe, Vt. and feature a silent auction as well as tributes to the inductees. Tickets and further information are available on the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum website, www.vtssm.com.

The Paul Robbins Journalism Award will be presented to Mary McKhann, editor of The Snow Industry Letter at the event as well.

Vermont Business Magazine An army of GMP line crews, tree crews, and contract crews are making repairs following a wet, heavy snowstorm Thursday night that brought down trees and power lines mostly across southern Vermont and central parts of the state. Crews have restored power to more than 27,300 already but approximately 3,000 remain without power as we head into the weekend. Crews will be working around the clock to complete repairs, which could take in the hardest hit areas until Saturday evening. In addition to help from Burlington Electric Department, and Vermont Electric Co-op, contract crews from around the region and Canada are working with GMP to restore power.

Halifax snow early Friday. GMP photo.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Vermont’s eight city mayors who make up the Vermont Mayors Coalition announced they have endorsed TJ Donovan in his bid to become Vermont’s next Attorney General. The Coalition and Donovan share many priorities, including investing resources in crime-prevention and public safety measures, increasing drug and mental health treatment programs, protecting the state’s waterways, and ensuring policing protocols employ the best practices in coping with the realities of modern public safety challenges.

TJ Donovan, center, with representatives of the Vermont Mayors Coalition: left to right, Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon, Vergennes Mayor Bill Benton, Donovan, St Albans Mayor Liz Gamache, Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger, and Montpelier Mayor John Hollar. Courtesy photo.

Vermont Business Magazine US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today that the St Albans Cooperative Creamery will receive a $250,000 federal grant that will expand the Cooperative’s powdered milk market. The grant caps off USDA’s celebration of National Cooperative Month, an annual recognition of the important role played by cooperatives in bolstering the rural economy. The St Albans Cooperative Creamery will use the $250,000 grant to process and package one ton powdered milk totes.

Vermont Business Magazine Northern Power Systems Corp (TSX: NPS), a next generation renewable energy technology company based in Barre, announced that WEG SA (Bovespa: WEGE3 / OTC: WEGZY) and NPS have executed a definitive agreement for WEG to acquire Northern Power System's Utility Wind assets. Northern Power is best known for its smaller (100 KW), distributed wind power facilities located in remote areas. The larger, core business (under 1.5 megawatt wind turbines) will remain in Barre with its approximate 75 employees. The core business did $40 million of the company's $54 million in sales in 2015, according to Vice President and Corporate Controller Eric Larson.

Vermont Business Magazine Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), which revealed Tuesday that it will be acquired by Syracuse-based Community Bank System, Inc, (NYSE: CBU) next year, has announced net income of $3.9 million and $0.57 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2016 compared to net income of $4.4 million or $0.63 per diluted share in the second quarter of 2016 and $3.9 million in net income or $0.61 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2015. Excluding acquisition, merger, severance and retirement costs, net of tax, the Company's adjusted net income was $4.3 million or $0.62 per diluted share for the third quarter of 2016. This compares to adjusted net income of $4.2 million or $0.61 per diluted share on a linked quarter basis and adjusted net income of $4.3 million or $0.68 per diluted share in the third quarter of 2015.

Vermont Business Magazine -  Despite news that benchmark premiums on healthcare.gov are increasing by an average of 25% next year, premiums for Vermonters shopping on Vermont Health Connect will remain much more stable. A new tool launched today will allow Vermonters to compare all their health care options for next year ahead of open enrollment which begins November 1.

“I’m happy that Vermonters aren’t facing the double-digit rate increases that many Americans face,” said Steven Costantino, Commissioner of the Department of Vermont Health Access. “But frankly, as long as health care costs outpace inflation, we have to continue to work to make care more affordable.”

Costantino points to three reasons to be positive.

Vermont Business Magazine – Annual savings from generic prescription drugs totaled $377 million for Vermont, according to the new 2016 Generic Drug Savings and Access in the United States report, compiled by the QuintilesIMS Institute on behalf of the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (GPhA).

Vermont Business Magazine - “Eight months ago Republican senators attempted to justify their unprecedented obstruction of a Supreme Court nominee by claiming that the American people needed to be heard through the election.  Now that we are on the eve of that democratic moment, some at last are making clear that this justification was simply a political farce.  It should be alarming to anyone who cares about the fair administration of justice, and the integrity of America’s judiciary, that some Republicans are already seeking to undermine the outcome of the upcoming election and further prevent our independent judiciary from fulfilling its constitutional role.  These Republicans are proving that they have no intention of doing their jobs and that their blockade of judicial nominees is purely driven by politics. 

Vermont Business Magazine - U.S. Senate candidate Scott Milne today unveiled a plan to achieve term limits in Congress.

Milne has taken a two-term pledge and his campaign is focused on government reform.  

“The longer a person is in Washington, the cozier they get with lobbyists and special interests, and the further removed from the people and values that sent them there.