Current News

by Olga Peters, Vermont Business Magazine Things are hopping in Rutland County these days. From one side of the county to the other, its communities are buzzing with renewed energy and enthusiasm. Here are three recent examples: Bernie Carr, executive director at the Brandon Area Chamber of Commerce, marvels at Brandon’s revitalized downtown. Driving home on a recent Saturday afternoon, he stops at a new intersection and is amazed by the number of people enjoying the area after years of construction and the pandemic. “I’m looking around and seeing people scurry here and there, and the parking spaces are full, and I’m like, ’We’re finally here!’,“ Carr says. Vermont State University President Dave Bergh is focused on the governor. While loading up his car for a trip to Castleton for the Bring Back the Trades Expo, he apologizes to a reporter for having to rush. “I think I’m introducing the governor, which is one reason I can’t be late,“ Bergh explains.

VermontBiz From storefronts to Instagram feeds, a polished visual identity can mean the difference between being passed over or picked first. To find out which independent businesses across the U.S. are nailing their branding, Piktochart surveyed 3,013 consumers and compiled a list of standout examples in every state.

These small businesses aren’t just selling cookies, coffee, or candles - they’re selling an experience, a vibe, and a visual story. Whether it’s retro charm, island cool, or urban elegance, these brands know exactly who they are and how to show it.

VermontBiz This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.    

Interstates:  

I-89 Colchester – Improvements are underway at the Exit 17 interchange. The intersection of U.S. 2 and U.S. 7 will have lane closures with alternating one-way traffic controlled by flaggers from Sunday through Friday between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. U.S. 2 between the I-89 Exit 17 southbound ramps and U.S. 7 will have lane reductions from Monday through Friday between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m., with potential for alternating one-way traffic controlled by flaggers between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Travel lanes on U.S. 2 are shifted south between Jasper Mine Road and U.S. 7. 

Vermont Business Magazine As lawmakers and the governor continue to insist on “doing something” about education before the end of next week, the state’s largest union will begin training educators to become elected officials. “Nobody knows the needs of students and those who work in our schools better than my fellow educators,” said Don Tinney, a high school English teacher who serves as the president of the 13,000-member Vermont-NEA. “We have seen that clearly this year, as four educators-turned-lawmakers are key players as the debate over the governor’s plans for public schools rages on.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Office of Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging proudly announces the 5th Annual Juneteenth Celebration in the City of Burlington. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, June 21, 2025, from 2PM – 10PM on Church Street and in City Hall Park. The community is invited to join in honoring the emancipation of enslaved African Americans and celebrating the rich cultural heritage and contributions of our Black community. As threats against equity and inclusion initiatives continue to rise across the nation, this event serves as a crucial reminder of the ongoing struggles and achievements in the fight for racial justice. Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19th, commemorates the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas were informed of their freedom, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Vermont Department of Economic Development The Woodlands Campus Child Center in Randolph is set to become Vermont’s largest childcare center. The project officially broke ground this week and once complete, the new center will serve 88 children and significantly expand access to childcare in Orange County. The project funding sources include $1 million from the Community Recovery and Revitalization Program and a total of $1.8 million of Northern Border Regional Commission awards. 

Vermont Business Magazine Business and nonprofit leaders from across Southern Vermont came together on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, for the 7th annual B2B Golf Classic, hosted by the Southwestern Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the Manchester Business Association (MBA). Held at the scenic Mount Anthony Country Club, the day offered a dynamic blend of golf, networking, and community building — all under blue skies and against the Green Mountain backdrop.

Vermont Business Magazine The Switchback Beer Garden is announcing the official expansion of its on-site restaurant menu with smoked specialties and new name, the Switchback Beer Garden & Smokehouse. The name change reflects the restaurant’s new culinary direction, focused on house-smoked meats and a broadened menu of Southern-inspired offerings alongside Switchback’s lineup of craft beer. The updated menu highlights their house-smoked specialties, including brisket, pulled pork, and St. Louis ribs, all prepared in-house and served with sides like maple cornbread, creamy broccoli salad, braised collard greens, and Cabot mac and cheese.

Public Assets Institute The Committee of Conference voted out a report Friday afternoon. An up-or-down vote on the bill in the full Legislature is likely on Monday, June 16th. Unfortunately, the committee’s report fails to fix the existing problems and raises significant additional concerns. The report: States that the goal of reform is to spend less on schools through: state-imposed consolidation; cutting educator jobs; reducing spending on Pre-K and special education services; shifting critical services to the General Fund without ensuring they’ll be funded; and other unproven strategies; Includes an option for high schools that receive tuitioned students to charge 5 percent above the foundation amount at the request of independent schools; Accelerates the timeline for implementation by one year, beginning with setting new district boundaries by July 1, 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine Philip Morris International Inc.’s U.S. business (PMI U.S.) today announced the appointment of Jody Sunna as U.S. Chief Communications Officer, effective September 1, 2025. In this role, Sunna will lead corporate, regulatory, civil society, and category communications across PMI’s U.S. operations, and serve as a member of the PMI U.S. Senior Management Team. Sunna is originally from Charlotte, VT, and started her career at Burlington-based Kelliher Samets Volk (which now goes by KSV). She also interned during college with the local minor league baseball team, the Vermont Lake Monsters. It was during this internship with the Lake Monsters that she discovered PR and communications.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine Vermont weekly unemployment claims for the week ending June 7, 2025, were back over 300 after they fell to their lowest number this year last week. New claims this week were 350, up 111 claims from the week before and are 72 more than last year at this time. Claims, which are lowest in the summer, were 181 at the end of September 2024. Initial jobless claims in the US held steady at 248,000 in the first week of June, unchanged from the previous week’s revised figure and defying market expectations for a drop to 240,000. The figure remained at its highest level since early October 2024, signaling early signs of softening in the labor market amid persistent economic uncertainty. The four-week moving average, which smooths out weekly fluctuations, rose by 5,000 to 240,250—its highest level since late August 2023.  Meanwhile, continuing claims jumped by 54,000 to 1,956,000 in the week ending May 31, the highest since mid-November 2021 and well above the forecast of 1,910,000.

Vermont Business Magazine Friday, the Committee of Conference on H.454 reached an agreement, advancing landmark legislation aimed at transforming Vermont’s education system and reducing property taxes. Following the agreement, Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski issued the following statement: “At the start of the legislative session, the House, Senate, and Governor all agreed to take on the complex challenge of transforming our education system to better serve Vermont’s kids. We entered this effort with the shared goal of lowering Vermonters’ tax bills while strengthening our public schools.”