Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phill Scott recently proclaimed the month of May 2025 as Foster Care Month and noted that “Vermont renews our commitment to ensure bright futures for the more than 800 children and youth in foster care.” The Vermont Department for Children and Families (DCF) is taking time to acknowledge the critical importance of foster caregivers statewide and thank them for their contributions to the well-being of Vermont’s children and families. “By celebrating National Foster Care Month, we are able to highlight the unique role of kin caregivers and express our gratitude to all foster caregivers who devote themselves to the service of our most vulnerable Vermonters” said DCF Family Services Division Deputy Commissioner, Aryka Radke.

VermontBiz has presented the 2025 winners of the annual Best of Business Awards. The BOB Awards provides an opportunity to tell us, other readers and the rest of the state which companies in Vermont have the best products and services for businesses. This is the ninth year that VermontBiz has surveyed its readers to find the Best of the Best companies in Vermont. With over 53 years of forging strong relationships with Vermont’s business community, we know the great companies we have in Vermont; we have highlighted them in our magazine, website and e-communications month after month. As always, VermontBiz readers chose the winners! Between Jan. 1 and March 1, VermontBiz surveyed its print and digital subscribers. We asked readers — the business leaders of Vermont – whom they trust to provide their services in 120 different categories. After more than 66,000 votes, we compiled the go-to list in categories ranging from Best Landscaping Company and Best Digital Media Agency. 

Vermont Business Magazine The SBA and VermontBiz will recognize Christopher Swasey and Natalie Beckwith of Lewis Creek Builders for their impact and economic contributions in Vermont. Lewis Creek Builders is a full-service residential design-build company in Williston. Since purchasing the business in 2017, Chris and Natalie have grown their team from six to thirty-six and significantly increased profitability, reporting 5-year growth of 217%. The SBA and VermontBiz will honor Lewis Creek as the Vermont Small Business Persons of the Year, along with eight additional honorees, at an event June 10 at the Essex Resort & Spa from 11 am to 2 pm.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, May 28th, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will convene Vermont businesses and manufacturers in Manchester. The event will be held at the Orvis Rod Shop & Factory.  This event follows Senator Welch’s recent trip to Ottawa, where he met with Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian leaders to discuss President Trump’s tariffs and trade war. On Wednesday, May 28th, U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) will host a community conversation in Rutland to discuss the challenges facing Vermont, and what more needs to be done to make our communities more affordable, our businesses more successful, and our families healthier and safer.

Vermont Business Magazine The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) is unveiling a new grant made possible through funding from the USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation. The Organic Dairy Product Promotion (ODPP) Grant is designed to increase organic dairy in schools, child-care centers, and other youth-based programs. This unique opportunity is part of a national initiative to increase the consumption of organic dairy among children and young adults while supporting small and mid-sized organic dairy producers.

Vermont Business Magazine This weekly report is a list of planned construction activities that will affect traffic on state highways and interstates throughout Vermont for the week of May 26, 2925. Please remember to drive safely in all work zones. Lives depend on it.   

by Maggie Lenz and Nick Charyk The Scott Administration's message to lawmakers last week was clear: if they do not pass an education bill the Governor is willing to sign, they will not be allowed to go home. And while that threat has been hanging over the State House all year, last week it became a fixed point. The Legislature is being told to stay until the education bill is resolved in a way the administration deems workable. The Governor is playing his energized hand in a building that is overcome with exhaustion.

by Amanda Kuhnert As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to lose sight of your business plan after the early stages of ownership, when daily operations start to overshadow long-term goals. But this is a missed opportunity, explained Dr. Stephen Brandon, who co-owns Health in Focus, a chiropractic care center  in Shelburne, with his wife, Dr. Shelley Crombach. The couple have been working consistently with Steve Densham, an adviser at the Vermont Small Business Development Center, since 2012, when they first purchased their business. “Steve taught us that the magic is when you consistently use your plan,” Brandon said. “As you get into it and realize that some of the things you had planned for were not 100% accurate, you can go back to VtSBDC and meet with them and work with what’s real.”

by Noah Diedrich, Community News Service Those large yellow buoys floating atop Lake Champlain aren’t for monitoring the weather, nor are they for decoration. Instead, they mark the final resting places of centuries-old ships that wrecked on the lakebed. The floats are part of the Underwater Preservation Program, a 40-year-old initiative run by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum that aims to uphold the federal Abandoned Shipwreck Act of 1987. The act looks to prevent historic wrecks from being disturbed by treasure hunters and salvagers. The museum oversees shipwrecks on Vermont’s side of the lake. 

Vermont Business Magazine Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling Company announces a new brewers’ festival taking place on June 7, 2025. LAGERFEST brings together 23 of the top New England breweries focusing 100% on Lager style beers. With so much love given to IPAs, it’s time that Lagers take their rightful place in the spotlight. When many people think of Lagers, fizzy yellow beer comes to mind, but Lager styles are as diverse as beer itself - they come in a wide range of colors, strengths, and flavors. LAGERFEST will be held on the Green at the Essex Experience, in front of Black Flannel Brewing & Distilling. The tagline for the event is Peace, Love & Lager. There will be one session, from 4 to 8pm. Ages 21+, no pets.

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors of Lyric Theatre Company has appointed Andrew Britt as the organization’s next Executive Director. Andrew brings a wide-ranging and distinguished career in the performing arts to Lyric, with experience spanning Broadway, Off-Broadway, national tours, regional theatre, and television. He holds a BFA in Theatre from East Carolina University and has worked with celebrated directors and creative teams on productions such as Bright Star, The Present, Waiting for Godot, and The Bandwagon. His television production credits include popular programming for HGTV and WeTV, where he developed skills in planning, logistics, and team leadership. Originally from North Carolina, Andrew’s passion for theatre was shaped by his early experiences in community-based performance.

Vermont Business Magazine In an era of rising cyberattacks impacting the websites of local businesses and individuals, Vermonters have a unique opportunity to understand how digital threats exploit weaknesses in web apps–ethically and safely–at a live demonstration hosted by Allegory Cyber LLC in Burlington. On May 30th, 2025 at 3:30 PM, a small group will gather at Hula in Burlington to witness a live, in-person demonstration of ethical web application penetration testing. This is the crucial process cybersecurity professionals use to identify and fix security flaws before malicious actors can exploit them. Led by Jeremiah Onaolapo, Cyber Training Consultant, the session titled “Break It to Fix It: Poking Holes in a Web App” will provide a practical look at how vulnerabilities are discovered in web apps, and what common tools, such as the industry-standard Burp Suite, are used in a completely secure, isolated environment.