Current News

Vermont Business Magazine On the day that Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law goes into effect, Governor Peter Shumlin urged supporters to take to social media to show the rest of America how common sense labeling can work. The Governor also urged supporters nationwide to urge Congress to abandon its efforts to undermine Vermont’s law.

Governor Shumlin (at the podium with Senator Leahy to his left) at the State House Friday with GMO labeling supporters. Courtesy photo.

As the GMO labeling law starts to get implemented over the coming months, the Governor is urging Vermonters to post pictures to social media of labeled products using the hashtag #WeLabeledGMOs. Already, companies such as Mars, Kellogg’s, and Campbell’s Soup have started labeling products.

Vermont Business Magazine Speaking from the steps of the Vermont State House, US Senator Bernie Sanders thanked Vermonters for standing up to powerful special interests and vowed to do everything in his power to defend Vermont’s first-in-the-nation law to label genetically modified food. The Vermont measure, which went into effect today, is being threatened by legislation in the US Senate, introduced by US Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Pat Roberts (R-KS), that Sanders said would create a confusing, misleading and unenforceable national standard for labeling genetically modified food.

Vermont Business Magazine Weekly unemployment claims fell as anticipated last week. Claims tend to spike in June and fall back. They rose to nearly 1,000, but fell to well under last year's totals, as the transition from the end of school moves into the summer employment trend. For the week of June 25, 2016, there were 629 claims, down 367 from the previous week's total and 102 fewer than they were a year ago. By industry, claims increased by a handful for Construction, but were down about half for Manufacturing. 

Altogether 4,699 new and continuing claims were filed, an increase of 36 from a week ago, and 15 more than a year ago.

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

Vermont Business Magazine For the second time in a week, Green Mountain Power is preparing for a strong wind, rain and lightning storm  that is expected to hit Friday afternoon and evening, causing outages across the state. Many parts of the state could be affected, as the storm is expected to hit Addison and Rutland counties first, then head up through Barre and Montpelier and into the Northeast Kingdom. A second wave is predicted to affect Bennington, Windham and Windsor Counties.

“Getting lights back on quickly as we head into the holiday weekend is our top priority,” said Kristin Carlson, GMP’s Chief Communications Executive. “Our crews are ready to respond and we are lining up additional contract crews to ensure that we get the lights back on as quickly as possible.”

Vermont Business Magazine VBM will again honor Vermont's most accomplished young leaders at the Rising Stars event held this fall. The nomination process is open from July 1 to September 2, 2016. Award recipients will be selected by a panel of judges for their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities.

TO BE ELIGIBLE, THE CANDIDATE:

Vermont Business Magazine In a development with implications for future work at GE Aviation Rutland, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) Thursday announced that the US Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC), based at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, late Thursday awarded GE Aviation a $1 billion contract to continue development of its three-stream adaptive cycle technology for the Air Force’s next generation of fighter engines. The long-awaited announcement follows an intense competition for the project. 

Vermont Business Magazine More than 70 employees, business partners, and local officials joined NG Advantage and General Transportation on June 23^rd  to celebrate their new facilities in the Catamount Industrial Park in Milton. In 2013, the two companies partnered to make the first US delivery of compressed natural gas (CNG) to an industrial customer. Since that time both NG Advantage, the pioneer in “virtual pipeline” service, and General Transportation, a New England trucking company specializing in hauling fuel, have grown dramatically.

Vermont Business Magazine BioTek Instruments, Inc affirms their ongoing investment across the North American microplate-based technology market with the expansion of their business in Canada. The dedicated sales and support operation will focus on bringing enhanced applications and technical support throughout the country. Dr Charles Amirmansour, previously BioTek’s Applications and Business Development Manager, is now appointed as the Canadian Country Manager. “Canada’s Life Science sector continues to yield high-quality scientific research, supported by federal and provincial government focus and investments,” he said. “By expanding our footprint here, we can continue to provide first-in-class local, comprehensive and immediate sales, applications and service support to this rapidly growing market.”

Vermont Business Magazine Fitch Ratings has upgraded the implied senior secured rating for Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) to 'A-' from 'BBB+'. The rating takes into consideration VEC's $69.5 million in outstanding senior secured obligations that are privately held as of Dec. 31, 2015. The Rating Outlook is Stable. In addition, effective with this rating action, Fitch will withdraw VEC's rating, as it is no longer considered to be relevant for Fitch's coverage.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Office and the Vermont Human Rights Commission issued Guidance on gender-based pricing, which is the practice of charging different prices for goods or services based on the consumer’s gender. Gender-based pricing occurs right here in Vermont – from services such as haircuts and dry cleaning to goods such as personal hygiene products and children’s toys.

According to Attorney General Sorrell, “many Vermont businesses may not realize that they are engaging in illegal gender-based pricing, and many Vermonter consumers may not realize that they have been subjected to the unfair practice. We have produced the Guide to raise awareness and help eliminate all gender-based pricing in Vermont.”

Vermont Business Magazine Berkshire Hills Bancorp, Inc (NYSE: BHLB), parent of Berkshire Bank with branches in Vermont, and New Jersey-based First Choice Bank have announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement under which First Choice Bank will merge into Berkshire Bank and its subsidiary, First Choice Loan Services Inc, will become a subsidiary of Berkshire Bank in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $111.7 million.   

by C.B. Hall Vermont Business Magazine In a US District Court decision handed down June 29, Vermont Railway has won the primary points in its litigation against the town of Shelburne, allowing the railroad to proceed with plans to build a transloading facility for handling road salt on a 32-acre site just north of Shelburne village. In the decision, Judge William Sessions addressed suits filed by both parties in the case. On January 25 the town sued for a preliminary injunction to stop the project, and Vermont Railway fired back with a request for a declaratory court judgment that would deny the town a role in permitting the construction.