Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Mayor Miro Weinberger today announced the appointment of Noelle MacKay as the City’s next Community & Economic Development Office (CEDO) Director. MacKay comes to the City of Burlington following more than 16 years of community development, land use planning, and economic development experience. MacKay served for five years as the Executive Director of Smart Growth Vermont, and for the last five years she has served as Commissioner of the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) focused on developing housing policy, overseeing the Mobile Home Park Program, and strengthening Vermont’s downtowns. Mayor Weinberger will request the City Council’s approval of this appointment at its May 16, 2016 meeting. If confirmed by the City Council, MacKay intends to step down as Commissioner at the end of June 2016 and will start her service to the City of Burlington on August 1, 2016.

Vermont Business MagazineVermont Business Magazine and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce select the three finalists for the Deane C Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award: Black River Produce, PC Construction Company, and Vermont Mutual Insurance Group. One of these impressive finalists will be named the Deane C Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year on Thursday, May 26 in an awards presentation ceremony that kicks off the 32^nd annual Vermont Chamber Business & Industry EXPO. The award winner will be announced at 10 am in the foyer of the Sheraton Burlington Conference Center.

Vermont Business Magazine As the hills across Vermont turn a brilliant spring green, volunteers across the state once again spent the first Saturday in May helping to clean Vermont roadsides of trash as part of the Green Up Day annual tradition. Green Up Vermont extends its gratitude to its generous sponsors, including Green Mountain Power as it concludes its third and final year as the signature partner.

Green Mountain Power has supported this effort as signature corporate partner of Green Up Vermont for three years now, helping to sustain the organization and its activities during difficult financial times.

Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power said, “We are so honored to support Green Up Vermont once again as we all pitch in and do our part to clean up and green up the Green Mountain State. It’s heartwarming to see Vermonters young and old join together out of love for this special place.”

Vermont Business Magazine Bond Auto Parts, Inc, a Barre, Vermont based company, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Smith’s Auto Parts located in Castleton. Smith’s Auto Parts is a family business with a rich history similar to our own. Founded in 1977 by Joel Smith on 528 Route 4A West in Castleton, it has been owned and operated by two generations. Smith Auto Parts already is affiliated with Bond Auto Parts. Smith’s has been a jobber store to Bond Auto over the past 30 plus years. Financial terms were not released.

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos today submitted his 2016 Election Nominating Petition to run for re-election. In a statement, Condos said his petition shows broad support from across Vermont with signatures from all 14 counties in Vermont representing more than 125 cities and towns. Condos said his petition has well over the required number of 500 signatures for a statewide office.

Secretary Jim Condos

“I am pleased to have such broad support from Democrats, Progressives, Republicans and Independents across the state,” Condos said. “My focus on bringing this office forward with successful IT solutions has set us up to provide efficient, good government solutions for the future.”

Vermont Business Magazine The New England Office of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has selected GLOBALFOUNDRIES Vermont team to receive an Environmental Merit Award in recognition of its exceptional work and commitment to the environment. The CMP Project being recognized also recently won a Vermont Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence. 

EPA’s Environmental Merit Award is an annual award that is very competitive and recognizes outstanding environmental advocates who have made significant contributions toward preserving and protecting our natural resources. The award ceremony will take place in Boston in early May. 

by Mike Smith Different stages in our lives bring different priorities, different perspectives. In the first 25 years of our lives — and some years beyond — we are constantly looking forward, often frustrated by the pace of time and with anything that delays the unfolding of the future or advancement. We relish the frenzied pace that surrounds our young life. We want to get where we’re going. We thrive on the adventure. There’s a whole lot of living to do. There’s a mystery, too, which powers the excitement. How quickly can we advance in our careers, should we get married and when will this is all happen? 

by Governor Peter Shumlin Thank you. At a time in America where government is under attack, where some are arguing that we should simply leave people to fend for themselves, we are showing that our democracy is alive, well, and working for Vermonters. Because of your tri-partisan work since January we’ve passed legislation together that is worthy of the trust voters have placed in us.

Vermont Business Magazine Bennington area residents and local Vermont attorneys have filed suit against Saint- Gobain for the effects of Saint-Gobain’s contamination of their land and drinking water with hazardous PFOA. “Our properties are contaminated, and we and our families have been drinking contaminated water for years due to Saint-Gobain’s releases of hazardous PFOA into our community,” said Jim Sullivan, a representative of the plaintiffs. “Saint-Gobain needs to address these harms and losses, and we have filed this case to insure that the company responds to our needs.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Bennington Area Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Catamount Access Television (CAT-TV), launched the second in a series of episodes for their show “Bennington Made” on Monday afternoon. “Bennington Made,” a show hosted by Bennington Chamber executive director Matt Harrington, focuses on locally made Bennington products and the owner, operators and staff that make these quality products. The series, scheduled to air throughout the year, takes its sophomore episode and highlights Bennington Museum’s recent exhibit “3D Digital: Here and Now.”  All the pieces in the exhibit have some connection to Bennington.

by Paul Costello, Executive Director, Vermont Council on Rural Development At the Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) we get to work with rural towns throughout Vermont where we rally everyone to pull together, review all the issues before the community, evaluate potential collective action, set priorities, and line up together to advance the economy, attract youth, build senior housing or children’s playgrounds, boost agriculture, and build energy committees or downtown associations. We see the best of democracy in action.

We see patriotism and pride—in community, for the working landscape, and in support of local economic innovation.

by C.B. Hall Vermont Business Magazine Federal and state officials converged on Burlington's Union Station Friday afternoon, May 6, to celebrate the award of $10 million in federal funds for the upgrading of the Rutland-Burlington rail line for passenger service. Leading the federal delegation were U.S. secretary of transportation Anthony Foxx and Sarah Feinberg, head of the Federal Railroad Administration. They were joined by Senator Patrick Leahy and Representative Peter Welch, with staffer David Weinstein standing in for the Vermont congressional delegation's third member, Senator Bernie Sanders. Also speaking was Burlington mayor Miro Weinberger, while state secretary of transportation Chris Cole emceed the event.