Current News

Vermont Business Magazine In hypothetical head-to-head general election contests, either Democratic candidate would defeat any Republican challenger, a new poll released by the Saint Leo University Polling Institute shows. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont leads Republican frontrunner Donald Trump, with 51.1 percent to 37.4 percent. In a Hillary Clinton versus Trump scenario, 47.7 percent report they would support the former US Secretary of State, comfortably topping the 38.4 percent who said they would back Trump.

​Vermont Business Magazine Gail Sheehy, pioneering journalist and world-renowned author, will be the commencement speaker and receive an honorary degree at the University of Vermont’s 2016 spring commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 22, on the University Green. A 1958 University of Vermont alumna, Sheehy launched her career in New York as one of the first women journalists in national media in the 1960s, at the birth of the second-wave feminist movement. A prolific writer, she has authored 17 books and hundreds of magazine articles; she is a founding writer of New York magazine and has been a contributing editor to Vanity Fair since 1984. Her seminal work Passages was named by the Library of Congress as one of the 10 most influential books of our times.

Vermont Business Magazine Trout habitat will be improved, water will be cleaner and invasive plants will be better controlled, thanks to funding from Vermont’s 2016 Watershed Grant Program. The program, established by the Legislature in 1998 and financed by a portion of the sales of the Vermont Conservation License Plates, provides funding to non-profits and towns wanting to improve aquatic habitat, water quality and flood resiliency. 

Vermont Business Magazine Continuing to help bridge the gap between meeting the needs of today's car shoppers and the business goals of automotive dealers, Burlington-based Dealer.com today announced it is delivering a more connected website experience that makes the digital retailing process more engaging, secure and efficient. The new features and functionality will create a more complete online to in-store deal-making experience that aligns with today's consumer expectations and accelerates the path to purchase.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin marked Disability Awareness Day (March 23^rd) by further solidifying Vermont’s leadership as a model employer of people with disabilities. The governor signed an Executive Order establishing a Disability Employment Working Group. The working group will be tasked with recommending hiring practices that will increase access to State employment for individuals with disabilities.

Vermont has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation and a higher-than-average workforce participation rate. Those numbers represent good news for the Vermont economy but create a small labor market in the state that can make finding qualified employees a challenge for Vermont employers. More than 82,000 Vermonters have a disability, representing a group of potential employees often overlooked by employers. Currently, fewer than 35 percent of Vermonters with disabilities are employed.

Vermont Business Magazine The Housing Foundation, Inc (HFI), based in Montpelier, has announced the appointment of Tim Palmer as the organization’s Executive Director. He is the first director in HFI’s 30-year history. HFI is a Vermont non-profit corporation that develops, secures, and operates affordable, quality, low-cost housing for the elderly, persons with disabilities, and families with low and limited incomes. It makes full use of opportunities to preserve existing housing stock, develop new properties, and improve the quality of Vermont‘s existing mobile home parks.

Tim Palmer

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont manufacturing employment was little changed over the past year, reports the 2016 Vermont Manufacturers Register. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, Vermont lost 256 manufacturing jobs from December 2014 to December 2015, a half percent decline. Vermont is now home to 1,343 manufacturers employing 40,711 workers. According to MNI’s database of manufacturers, the state lost 3,750 jobs between December 2007 and December 2010, and has since struggled to recover those losses, with jobs falling a net 1 percent since December 2010.

Vermont Business Magazine The Greater Upper Valley chapter of Trout Unlimited has received a $10,000 grant through the Trout Unlimited national Embrace-A-Stream grant program to help pay for the removal of an old dam on the 3rd branch of the White River in Randolph. The chapter will use the funds to help restore and open 98 miles of the river to fish passage so that Brook trout and other species can find cooler water temperatures in the hot summer months and spawning grounds in the fall.

“We are thrilled to receive this Embrace-A-Stream grant from TU national to help restore and improve the White River,” said Ken Grecsek, Greater Upper Valley chapter president. “This grant will help our chapter work with the White River Partnership, American Rivers, US Fish and Wildlife Service and the State of Vermont to improve this local fishery.”

Vermont Business Magazine As people everywhere strive to understand the challenges we face with climate change, educators in Vermont are coming together to explore ways to promote "climate resilience" in our schools. On Saturday, April 9, Vermont SWEEP (Statewide Environmental Education Programs) will host Cultivating Climate Resilience: An educational summit for empowerment and action from 8 am to 4:30 pm at Montpelier High School in central Vermont. Registration is $75 for non-SWEEP members, $55 for members, and $40 for co-presenters and students.

Designed for the K-12 grades and all disciplines, this event will convene teachers, environmental educators, representatives of state and local agencies, and others interested in climate change education to share best practices and launch new initiatives. Interested students are also urged to attend.

Vermont Business Magazine As part of statewide efforts to clean up Lake Champlain, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) this year is updating the Tactical Basin Plan for the South Lake Champlain Basin that includes the Poultney-Mettowee River watersheds. A meeting will be held March 29, 2016 beginning at 6 pm at The Meeting House, 348 Bentley Avenue, Poultney (just across from Green Mountain College). The Rutland County towns of Danby, Pawlet, Tinmouth, Wells, Middletown Springs, Poultney, Castleton, West Rutland, Pittsford, Fair Haven, Hubbardton, West Haven, Benson, and Sudbury are part of the South Lake Basin (as are a handful of towns in Addison County).

Vermont Business Magazine Keurig Green Mountain, Inc today announced the appointment of Robert J "Bob" Gamgort as Chief Executive Officer effective May 2, 2016. Bob is currently serving as Chief Executive Officer of Pinnacle Foods Inc (Birds Eye, Duncan Hines, Vlasic), where he generated industry-leading shareholder returns by building a diversified portfolio of iconic consumer brands recognized for innovation. He will replace Brian Kelley, who will continue to support Keurig and become vice chairman of the board. Keurig was acquired for $13.9 billion by a JAB Holding Company-led consortium earlier this year. Keurig reported revenue of $4.5 billion in 2015. Pinnacle's revenues were $2.7 billion.

Vermont Business Magazine FirstLight Fiber, a leading fiber-optic bandwidth infrastructure services provider based in Albany, NY, and operating in Vermont, New York and Northern New England, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Oak Hill Capital Partners. Under the terms of the agreement, Oak Hill will acquire the company from its current private equity owner, Riverside Partners. At the conclusion of the transaction, Riverside Partners is expected to continue as a minority investor in FirstLight. Financial terms were not disclosed.