Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Senate Finance Committee on Friday passed by a vote of 6-1 S241 – legislation to legalize marijuana in Vermont. The Finance Committee set a marijuana excise tax of 25 percent, which excludes medical marijuana. Governor Peter Shumlin has sought a bill (see full bill below) that seeks to legalize what he says many Vermonters are using anyway, while pushing illegal drug dealers out of the marketplace. If the bill passes through the Senate, it faces an uncertain future in the House. Speaker Shap Smith said earlier in the session that he agrees with the governor that a legalization bill should be intended to curb criminal drug dealing rather than an opportunity to increase state tax revenues. However, while he believes a legalization bill will become law, he does not believe it will happen this year. Advocates of legalization are pushing hard this year because next year will bring a new Legislature and a new governor.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Program (CAP) is warning of several scams currently targeted at Vermont businesses. If your firm has experienced any of these scams, please report them to the Consumer Assistance Program online at www.uvm.edu/consumer or by calling 800-649-2424.

Vermont Business Magazine SymQuest Group, Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc., celebrated 20 years as Northern New England’s premier IT services and copier company on Tuesday, February 9. “What a thrill it is to witness the advances of business technology,” said Larry Sudbay, SymQuest’s President and CEO. “In just 20 years we have seen incredible improvements in the way we communicate, work, and experience life. As technology is continuously changing the way we work, one constant remains the same: SymQuest is committed to building a quality company and earning your business every day.”

Vermont Business Magazine Maine Drilling & Blasting, which services clients in Vermont and across the region, celebrates the importance of local service to its own success over the past half-century by establishing named scholarships at local universities and technical colleges throughout its service area. For Maine Drilling & Blasting, it all started with service. Hard work, honesty and quality service were the simple yet sacred principles upon which Ted Purington, Sr. and his wife, Judy, founded the company in Gardiner, ME, back in 1966.  Throughout the years that followed, the Company expanded its footprint from Maine to New England, then on through the Northeast, and now through the Mid-Atlantic region. During this growth, MD&B’s founding principles remained constant, as did MD&B’s deliberate focus on local service. “We’ve always worked to grow regional markets with local people,” explains Company President & CEO, Bill Purington.

Vermont Business Magazine ReSOURCE is once again providing $150,000 in essential goods to alleviate poverty in Vermont through the Essential Goods Program. By obtaining vouchers, individuals and families in need can receive donations of those durable goods essential to safe and comfortable living such as cookware, mattresses, bed frames, dressers, books, washing machines, ranges, toys for kids, and even desktop computers. ReSOURCE’s Essential Goods Program also supports sister nonprofit organizations, helping them meet their own organizational needs for information technology, office furniture, and appliances.

Vermont Business Magazine Valener Inc, the public investment vehicle in Gaz Metro Limited Partnership, today reported normalized operating cash flows of $10.4 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2016, or $0.27 per common share, compared to $9.9 million or $0.26 per common share in the first quarter of 2015. The company also declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, in line with the plan announced in autumn 2015. The Energy Distribution segment in Vermont, through its subsidiaries Green Mountain Power Corporation (GMP) and Vermont Gas Systems Inc. (VGS), recorded net income attributable to Partners of $18.3 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2016, up $2.4 million or 15.1%, year over year. 

Vermont Business Magazine Citizens Bank has again contributed $10,000 to the Vermont Foodbank, to make more food available for Vermonters in need.  This most recent gift marks the fifth consecutive year Citizens Bank has supported the Vermont Foodbank.

“Corporate partners are essential to the work of ensuring our Vermont neighbors have enough healthy food,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “Citizens Bank has time and time again demonstrated their commitment to enriching our communities—we are so grateful for their loyal support.”

“Many of our neighbors lack reliable access to food on a daily basis. At Citizens Bank, we work to address this need by supporting innovative programs and organizations that provide access to nutritious food,” said Joe Carelli, President, Citizens Bank, Vermont.  “That is why we are proud to support the Vermont Foodbank in their work to fight hunger in our communities across the state.”

Vermont Business Magazine The Chittenden County ECOS Partnership has released its 2015 ECOS Annual Report. New this year, the Annual Report is an infographic that visually displays some of the most interesting trends and notable accomplishments from 2015 relating to people, place, and prosperity in Chittenden County.

[View the 2015 ECOS Annual Report]

The ECOS Annual Report summarizes progress toward the goals set in the 2013 Chittenden County ECOS Plan, the combined Regional Plan, Metropolitan Transportation Plan and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy for Chittenden County.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Advisory Council on Historic Preservation announced grants totaling $68,880 to support historic preservation efforts in six Vermont communities. Funding for the grants is provided through the Certified Local Government (CLG) program, a federal initiative administered by the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation. "This program is a valuable tool that can document our state's historic resources and provide individual communities the opportunity to protect and enhance their local heritage," stated Commissioner Noelle MacKay of the Department of Housing and Community Development. "The CLG project awards enable local governments to continue ongoing preservation efforts by increasing awareness, educating the public, and providing opportunities to plan for the future while recognizing the past."

Vermont Business Magazine The Board of Directors at Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) is pleased to announce Jane Campbell as the organization’s new Executive Director. Campbell, who begins her tenure at VBSR on February 15th, will be the organization’s 6th executive director since its founding in 1990. “We are thrilled to make this announcement,” said VBSR Board Chair Sara Newmark of New Chapter, the Brattleboro-based vitamin and herbal supplement company. “We celebrated VBSR’s 25th anniversary last year and are confident that Campbell’s talents will help us ensure that VBSR is a force for good in the business world for another 25 years.”

I welcome the President’s proposal to invest more than $1 billion to combat the nationwide opioid and heroin epidemic.  His proposal reflects the range of challenges and needs that Vermont faces.  Overdose deaths, particularly among young people, are dramatically rising, and communities across the country are struggling to address this corrosive threat.  This epidemic is a national emergency, it is a public health crisis in Vermont, and the President’s plan acknowledges that we cannot arrest our way out of this problem.  We must support prevention, treatment and recovery programs, as well as law enforcement.  I will continue to work on shaping these and other efforts to address this epidemic as the President’s plan goes to the Senate Appropriations Committee for further consideration and action.

Vermont Business Magazine The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, announced today that it has awarded $3,500 to The Mentor Connector in Rutland, Vermont.

The Mentor Connector, a formal mentoring program, pairs youngsters in the Rutland area with adult mentors of the same community.  Mentors and mentees are matched according to their similar interests and the mentor becomes a trusted adult friend with a long-term, consistent commitment to provide guidance and support.

The funding brings the total grant amount awarded by People’s United Community Foundation to the organization to $19,000.