Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Peter Shumlin issued the following statement after public drinking sources in Merrimack, New Hampshire, were found to be contaminated with the the potentially harmful chemical PFOA (perfluorochemical). Last week, a number of private wells in North Bennington tested positive for elevated levels of PFOA. The public drinking water systems in North Bennington and Bennington have been tested and are not affected.

by Sarah Tuff Dunn If you’ve ever seen the funky flowers for Om Records, the flying Burton penguin, or the groovy graphics for Nordica Skis and Anon goggles, then you’ve seen the work of Capacitor Design Network, whose president and cofounder is Josh Brown ’92. His Vermont-based business cranks up edgy illustrations, graphics, and designs for the music industry, ski and snowboard companies, and corporate clients around the world. Originally, however, Brown intended to spin the globe as a cartographer after studying geography at UVM—a switch from environmental studies. But when the Woodstock-raised music lover found himself headed in the wrong direction, he returned to his roots, turning up the creative volume to pursue a more design-oriented career.

Josh Brown. Photos by Shem Roose

by Mike Faher/The Commons, Brattleboro It’s safe to say Louis Josephson has his hands full. As the Brattleboro Retreat’s new president and chief executive officer, Josephson is in charge of more than 800 employees and an array of programs including 122 inpatient beds for children and adults; multiple outpatient offerings; a school; and a busy “hub” for treatment of opiate addiction. Josephson has taken the reins of a community institution with 182 years of history, along with a more-recent history of difficulties with federal and state regulators.

Louis Josephson, the new president and chief executive officer of the Brattleboro Retreat. Photo by Mike Faher

by Secretary of State Jim Condos I would like to wish Vermont a Happy 225^th Birthday. On March 4^th, 1791, the 1^st Federal Congress admitted Vermont into the Union, making Vermont the 14^th state in the United States of America. Vermont’s history began before it officially became a state. The name Vermont was chosen in July 1777, at a convention of 72 representatives known as the “freemen of Vermont”, who met in a tavern in Windsor, Vermont, and adopted the state’s earliest constitution. Innovative for its time, the 1777 Vermont Constitution was the first written constitution in all of North America. (The Articles of Confederation would not be drafted until November of 1777 and were not replaced by the United States Constitution until 1789. See the Vermont 1793 Constitution below.)

Such innovation existed in Vermonters from the beginning and still thrives in Vermonters today.

Vermont Business Magazine Consumer advocate Erin Brockovich and the law firm Weitz & Luxenberg announced today they are expanding their investigation intoperfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) water contamination to include North Bennington, Vermont. The announcement comes after new tests by the State of Vermont revealed several wells in the town contain the same chemical that was found in the Hoosick Falls, NY and Petersburgh, NY water systems. “We are facing a water contamination crisis across our country,” said Erin Brockovich. “North Bennington is the latest in a long line of communities who can no longer trust the most basic necessity of life. I hope this investigation will help residents understand more about the size and scale of the problem.”

Vermont Business Magazine In November 2015, Underhill residents formed the Mansfield Cooperative to investigate purchasing the Underhill Country Store from current owners Peter and Nancy Davis, who are planning to retire. The cooperative model has been a popular one with Underhill’s 3,000 residents and over $50,000 was pledged by potential Co-op Members between early November and mid-December. In January, the Onion River Co-op (which currently operates City Market in Burlington) and the Mansfield Cooperative formed a partnership to transform the Underhill Country Store into a Member-owned food cooperative.

Underhill Country Store, courtesy Onion River Co-op.

by Timothy McQuiston Vermont Business Magazine Rusty DeWees, actor and Vermont icon, continued his Winter Star Series at the Stowe Town Hall last weekend by bringing in former Governor Jim Douglas and banjo whiz George Woodard for an evening of merrymaking and history, which included a Vermont trivia contest. They also plugged their books and other stuff. So in that spirit we offer this review, of the review.

DeWees, who grew up in Stowe, of course is most famous for his one-man performance as “The Logger.” He’s also been on TV and in the movies, but it’s his over-the-top take on back woods Vermont for which he’s best known.

It was also a Republican-centric evening. In fact, it’s possible that every Republican in the state of Vermont was in attendance in the upstairs meeting room of the historic building. We suspect this for three reasons:

Vermont Business Magazine When it comes to wireless network quality in the Northeast region, Verizon Wireless ranks highest among wireless providers, according to the latest JD Power 2016 Wireless Network Quality Performance StudySM, Volume 1. The study queried more than 41,000 wireless subscribers across the US about their experiences with their last 10 calls, messages, emails and Web connections on their mobile devices. In the Northeast region, which covers Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, Verizon scored higher than every other wireless competitor with an overall PP100 score of 10, while the Northeast average was 12.

The study, conducted between July and December 2015, covers six regions of the US, including 48 states and the District of Columbia, and recognizes the highest-ranking companies in each region based on the results.

Vermont Business Magazine FairPoint Communications, Inc (Nasdaq:FRP), Vermont's largest telecommunications company, on Wednesday announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2015. Revenue decreased $11.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2015 to $209.8 million impacted by an anticipated $4.8 million reduction in regulatory funding revenue as well as additional quarterly seasonality in revenue. Revenue was $209.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to $217.1 million a year earlier. Net income was $42.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2015 compared to a net loss of $43.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2014.

Vermont Business Magazine A new report, On-Farm Biodiesel Production in Vermont: Legal and Regulatory Overview, conducted by the Institute for Energy and the Environment (IEE) at Vermont Law School reviews all Vermont state and federal regulations related to on-farm biodiesel production. Commissioned by the Vermont Bioenergy Initiative at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund, the report aims to inform farmers about the potential laws and regulations surrounding on-farm biodiesel production.

Vermont Business Magazine NextCapital, the leading enterprise digital advice provider, today announced its new office in Burlington, Vermont. The new Burlington office reflects NextCapital’s robust growth and intent to attract top software engineers and web developers in the Vermont region -- including Vermont's colleges and universities. The office will be led by Rob Foregger, co-founder of the firm, who is a Vermont entrepreneur and UVM alumnus.

“NextCapital develops software that is reinventing how people plan, save and invest for retirement -- this is a $14 trillion market impacting more than 100 million Americans.” said Mr. Foregger, co-founder of NextCapital. “We think the importance of our mission will attract top software talent to our Vermont office.”

Vermont Business Magazine Today the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets (VAAFM) announced the recipients of second round funding from the Trade Show Assistance Grant Program, an initiative of the agency’s Domestic Export Program designed to assist Vermont food and forest businesses in making and maintaining connections with buyers, brokers and distributors via out-of-state trade shows.  A total of $14,000 was awarded to fourteen Vermont businesses to attend trade shows in New York, Las Vegas and San Francisco and to exhibit their Vermont-made products in front of thousands of regional and national buyers.

The 2016 (Round 2) Trade Show Assistance Grant Awardees Include:                                        

Company                                                             Trade Show & Location                                                 Grant Amount