Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Rutland Economic Development Corp. (REDC) has announced the names of three Rutland-area entrepreneurs who will pitch their business ideas to investors on August 1, 2016. Ana DiTursi will pitch an expansion of her specialty food business, Ana’s Empanadas. Rollin Rochele will pitch a new fitness product called Clustas. Jake Grinbergs, a Castleton University student, will pitch SPAERAGAMES, an online fitness business. The pitch event is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. in the Fox Room at the Rutland Free Library.

Road Pitch 2015. VBM photo.

by Rob Roper Before Peter Shumlin became governor, he famously said that there was no more tax capacity left in Vermont. We were ‘tapped out.” Since then, Shumlin and majorities in the legislature have passed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of new taxes and fees. Despite this, the state still deals with a consistent structural budget deficit and revenue shortfalls.

Many of our politicians, like Shumlin, pay lip service to hearing Vermonter’s pain when it comes to our tax burdens and overspending by the state, but their records tell a different story. And, these particular zebras aren’t going to change their stripes.  Just look at the tax and spending proposals that are on the table for tapped out Vermonters to contemplate for 2017.

by Mike Smith If a Republican wants to be elected president of the United States, uniting the Republican Party — which ranges from New England moderates to Southern conservatives — is an essential step. But apparently Donald Trump’s campaign doesn’t agree that party unification is a prime objective. Instead, the campaign went out of its way, almost from the outset of the Republican National Convention this week, to alienate those who could help them win the presidency. 

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power reported Sunday evening that its crews continue to make progress restoring power to 26,000 customers who lost power during Saturday’s severe thunderstorm that hit Vermont and parts of New England. 6,400 customers are still without power and an army of crews will work around the clock to get the power back on, with about 500 people in the field.

“Fast restoration like this can only be done with a dedicated and highly trained team and advance planning,” said Kristin Carlson, Chief Communications Executive. “We are also preparing for a new round of storms that could hit Monday. We will be ready to address any new outages.”

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell again last week to a more typical, low summer level. However, claims in 2016 generally have been running above 2015 claims. For the week of July 16, 2016, there were 427 claims, down 113 from the previous week's total and 64 more than they were a year ago. By industry, claims were higher for the month and for the year for construction, but fell steeply for Manufacturing; Service, as is typical, carried the most claims. 

Altogether 4,545 new and continuing claims were filed, a decrease of 149 from a week ago, and 151 more than a year ago.

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

Vermont Business Magazine Burlington City Arts has announced the 16 recipients of the 2016 Community Fund Grants.  The fund aims to foster a vibrant creative community by supporting projects in the City of Burlington that address community needs, challenges and priorities through the arts, and benefit a broad citizenry.

Vermont Business Magazine In late June, Public Radio News Directors Inc. and emcee Korva Coleman of NPR presented 173 awards to 72 organizations at its conference in St Louis for work done at stations and other outlets during calendar year 2015. Vermont Public Radio took home three of the awards for commentary, newscast, and arts feature. The annual PRNDI Awards is the only national competition devoted to rewarding outstanding local public radio news in a variety of categories.

"This year's competition was fierce with over 1,200 entries submitted," according to George Bodarky, PRNDI President. 

VPR was recognized with three national awards for its 2015 coverage in the following categories:

Commentary:

Vermont Business Magazine An increase in the Labor Force could indicate that potential workers are entering the workforce because of growth in the economy. At least that is one answer the state is offering to explain a rare increase in the jobless rate. The Vermont Department of Labor announced today that the seasonally-adjusted statewide unemployment rate for June was 3.2 percent. This is a one-tenth of one percentage point increase from the revised May rate.

Vermont Business Magazine BioTek Instruments, based in Winooski, celebrated the start of a $4 million, 22,000-square-foot facility expansion during a company-wide event on Monday, July 18, featuring honorable guests Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy, Congressman Peter Welch, Governor Peter Shumlin, and Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott. The increased space will be used to support the Company’s rapidly growing manufacturing and design needs, and once completed at the end of 2016, will also add a number of new jobs to the local economy.

Briar Alpert, BioTek President and CEO speaks as, from left, Lieutenant Governor Scott, Congressman Welch, Senator Leahy and Governor Shumlin listen. VBM photo.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) provided an update today on bottled water availability for Shaftsbury residents living near the closed town landfill, and details on an upcoming informational meeting. Additional monitoring wells at the landfill and private drinking water wells within a quarter mile of the landfill will be tested over the next few weeks. The decision to test wells of homeowners near the landfill resulted from Wednesday’s announcement on the finding of PFOA in a groundwater monitoring well at the site. Results showed PFOA to be present at a concentration of 25 parts per trillion in the one monitoring well tested.

Vermont Business Magazine Merchants Bank is pleased to sponsor the Papering the Town: Circus posters in America exhibit at the Shelburne Museum. The $5,000 sponsorship shares circus posters from the 1800's and 1900's with guests through January 22, 2017. This is an exciting exhibit as some of these circus posters have not been displayed since becoming part of the Shelburne Museum's collection, due to their enormous size.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos would like to remind all Vermonters that the deadline to register to vote in the August 9^th Statewide Primary is Wednesday, August 3rd.“Voting is the very basis of our democracy,” said Secretary Condos, “I encourage everyone to get out and participate in Vermont’s Primary on August 9^th.”

Vermont has one of the most generous early voting periods in the nation, allowing you to vote in person at your town clerk’s office or by mail 45 days before an election.  If you are not registered, the Secretary of State’s new elections management system makes it easier than ever to register to vote.  Through your own personalized “MVP” or “My Voter Page” you can easily locate your polling place, view the ballots you will see on Election Day and request an early ballot.