Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Franklin Foods, the world's fastest-growing cream cheese company with a manufacturing facility in Enosburg Falls, has been recognized by Shamrock Foods as the 2016 Dairy Supplier of the Year. As one of the top 10 foodservice distributors nationwide, Shamrock Foods recognizes its supplier partners' excellence with its annual Supplier of the Year Awards, presented during the company's Supplier Summit.

The supplier awards are based on criteria including growth, profitability, service level, marketing support and compliance to industry standards such as GS1 -- a data and communication tool used for supply chain efficiency. In all, 15 supplier partners were recognized in six categories including Center of Plate, Frozen Grocery, Dairy/Cheese, Dry Grocery, Non Foods/Beverage and the overarching Supplier of the Year category.

Vermont Business Magazine Ice cream moguls Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, founders of Ben & Jerry's Homemade Inc, issued a statement today supporting Democrat Matt Dunne in the race for governor of Vermont.

by Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable After a tremendous amount of hard and important work by the Legislature and Administration in the last biennium around education reform, for which they deserve our recognition and appreciation, Act 46: Unification to Achieve Sustainable Governance, was signed into law in June 2015. It created immediate opportunities for school districts and supervisory unions to unify, an action which will result in better educational opportunities for students and cost effectiveness for taxpayers.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Community Loan Fund (VCLF) has announced the 2016 Building Bright Spaces for Bright Futures Fund (BBSFBFF) grants, with a total of $57,600 awarded to eight Vermont child care programs.

Vermont Business Magazine Lab results are back for the 477 adults and children who participated in PFOA blood draw clinics in the Bennington test area. The average PFOA level there is nearly five times the US average. The Health Department conducted eight blood test clinics in April, May and June at the Bennington District Office for people whose private drinking water was contaminated with PFOA, or who currently or formerly lived or worked at the former Chemfab site.

Overall, the results for PFOA in blood range from 0.3 to 1125.6 micrograms/Liter (µg/L). The geometric mean – a type of average – for the Bennington/North Bennington group is 10.0 µg/L, higher than 2.1 µg/L for the U.S. population. PFOA is found in the blood of most Americans.

Vermont Business Magazine Two tobacco dealers will pay Vermont a total of $69,000 for violating Vermont’s tobacco laws and Consumer Protection Act. In the spring of 2015, McIssac and Bairos New England Distribution, LLC of Avon, Massachusetts, a licensed wholesale dealer of tobacco products, sold 263 packs of Seneca cigarettes, a product that is illegal to sell in Vermont as it is not on Vermont’s tobacco directory, to Vermont retailers. 

Vermont Business Magazine Braeburn Pharmaceuticals announced today that healthcare provider training and certification for Probuphine will take place on July 29 and 30 in Burlington. Approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 26, 2016, Probuphine is the first implant for the maintenance treatment of opioid dependence in patients who have sustained clinical stability on low-to-moderate doses of buprenorphine, specifically 8 mg or less per day.  

Vermont Business Magazine Nearly every state received an 'F,' so Vermont's grade of 'C' puts it among the elite states for health care price transparency. New Hampshire again received the top mark. Most states could be doing more to give consumers the price information they need for making educated health care choices, according to an annual report card released by two independent health policy organizations. The report not only identifies the states failing at health care price transparency, but also lauds the few high-performing states and outlines practices lagging states should emulate. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets and the Department of Health want Vermonters to be aware that a common weed found along many Vermont roadsides can cause painful rashes and raised blisters, similar to second-degree sunburn. "Poison parsnip" (Pastinaca sativa L.), also known as wild parsnip, is found throughout the state. The plant produces a sap that reacts to sunlight, and skin that comes in contact with the sap becomes hyper-sensitive to ultraviolet light. It may take several hours after exposure for burns to develop, and some of the skin damage can be serious.

Wild parsnip produces small yellow flowers that look like Queen Anne's Lace. It is a close relative of carrots, parsley, angelica and giant hogweed, all of which can cause similar skin reactions in sensitive individuals.

Vermont Business Magazine People's United Bank, NA has announced that its subsidiary, People's Securities, Inc, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Gerstein Fisher, a $3 billion, New York City-based investment management firm serving individuals and families, institutions, and third-party platforms. The transaction is expected to bring People's United Wealth Management's total assets under administration to nearly $20 billion, of which approximately $8 billion is under discretionary management.

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB), the parent of Berkshire Bank with branches in southwestern Vermont, has reported second quarter GAAP earnings of $0.52 per share in 2016 compared to $0.35 in 2015. Core earnings increased to $0.54 per share from $0.51 for these respective periods. Results increased due to expanded operations and improved profitability. Core EPS is a non-GAAP financial measure and is adjusted to exclude net non-core charges primarily related to acquisitions and restructuring activities. GAAP results last year included higher noncore charges related to the Hampden Bancorp acquisition.

Vermont Business Magazine US Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) took to the podium at the Democratic National Convention Monday night in Philadelphia. He followed Michelle Obama and Elizabeth Warren. He was introduced by Representative Keith Ellison of Minnesota and was led on stage by his Simon & Garfunkel "America" TV ad from last winter. Paul Simon performed "Bridge over Troubled Water" earlier in the evening. Sanders' speech begins at about the 6:48 mark of the video below and lasted 32 minutes.

Bernie Sanders' Speech as Prepared for Delivery with video from Monday night's speech.

Good evening.

How great it is to be with you tonight.