Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Plum Creek Foundation recently awarded a $4,000 grant to the Vermont PBS Youth Environmental Education program, which offers environmental conservation and preservation material to engage the next generation of environmental stewards. According to Maggie Hunter, Director of Grants and Foundation Support, the Vermont PBS’ Youth Environmental Education program has inspired young viewers and their families since its start in 2014. In 2016, the program places to focus on their Watershed and River Model. This will involve river clean ups, looking at trout in the classroom, exploring the chop & drop watershed restoration technique and looking at riparian buffers.

Vermont Business Magazine Kevin Pearce was at the top of his sport as a world class professional snowboarder in 2009 when he sustained a traumatic brain injury while training for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The  28-year-old Pearce’s road to recovery has brought to light his potential to transform the experience of traumatic brain injury (TBI) into a source of inspiration, education and awareness. He will share his story of recovery at Champlain College on Thursday, February 4 at 6:30 pm in the Champlain Room of the Center for Communication and Creative Media at 375 Maple St. It is presented by the Champlain Ski and Ride Club and the LoveYourBrain Foundation. The talk is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and seating is first-come, first served.

by Sarah Tuff Dunn “Blood is something we all have, but rarely consider,” says Julie Desrochers, the fall prevention program manager at the Vermont Department of Health, of her years working for the American Red Cross in Burlington. “I loved sharing my knowledge on the behavioral clues that make up what we consider instincts—for example, the small signs that indicate an early reaction, such as syncope—a temporary loss of consciousness caused by a fall in blood pressure--which can prevent an adverse blood donation experience or injury.”

by John McClaughry In his January budget message, Gov. Shumlin announced a new source of tax revenue to help fill the ever-gaping Medicaid budget deficit ($55 million in Fiscal Year 2017). He proposed that the provider assessment now applied to hospitals and nursing homes be expanded to independent physicians and dentists, at 2.35% of net patient income. “This will,” he said, “raise $17 million in state funds and draw down $20 million of the federal dollars that we’ve been leaving on the table.”

This game began in 1991. In that year the legislature (ill-advisedly) bought into a Massachusetts-invented scheme called “MediScam”.

The Federal government matches state money raised to fund Medicaid. The matching percentage (called FMAP), is approximately 55% for 2017.

Vermont Business Magazine Pathways Vermont, a local housing and mental health service agency, recently completed the installation of a community kitchen in their building in Burlington’s Old North End. The kitchen is a new addition to The Wellness Co-op, Pathways’ community center located at 279 North Winooski Avenue. The program is funded primarily by the Vermont Department of Mental Health and aims to create a vibrant community that supports resilience through collective learning, creative exploration and mutual support. In 2015 the center had more than 500 unique visitors. 

Business Expo at Great Ice Cancelled

Champlain Islands Business Expo at Great Ice on Saturday, February 6th, 2016 has been cancelled for this year due to weather challenges.                              

We hope you will join us for the other great events

that are still on the schedule!

FRIDAY Feb 5th

Christmas Tree Bonfire 5:30p at North Hero House Pier

Family Italian Dinner 6:30p at North Hero House Inn 372 4732

SUNDAY Feb 7th

FlapJack Breakfast 8-11a. A hearty VT breakfast at North Hero House. 

Chili-Cook Off 12:30-1:30p at Hero's Welcome Picnic Area

by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine You’re reading an unusual story for Vermont Business Magazine — one that begins with a mostly naked pop star. In June of 2014, the pop singer Rihanna was presented with a style icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The dress she wore became an internet sensation around the world; the fashion magazine Elle described it this way: “In an Adam Selman gown made out of 230,000 Swarovski crystals and zero slips, Rihanna was basically naked on the red carpet.” As bare as she was, if you look closely you’ll see that under her sheer and sparkly dress Rihanna is wearing a tiny thong. A tiny thong that was made by a lingerie company called Commando LLC, which happens to be located in South Burlington, Vermont. It gives a whole new meaning to the term “Made in Vermont.” 

Vermont Business Magazine According to filings by Senator Bernie Sanders' (I-Vermont) presidential campaign, more than $20 million – almost all from online contributions averaging about $27 apiece – was donated to Sanders’ presidential campaign in January during the run-up to Monday’s Iowa caucuses. The more than 770,000 individual contributions in January pushed the total number of donations for his entire campaign past the 3.25 million mark. That’s a record at this point in the campaign for any White House candidate. Unlike other campaigns which rely heavily on wealthy donors who give the maximum allowed by law, more than 99.9 percent of Sanders’ donors can give again. In sharp contrast, Federal Election Commission reports indicate that more than 3 in 5 dollars given to Hillary Clinton come from donors who already have given her the maximum allowed by law.

Vermont Business Magazine Revision Military, based in Essex Junction, Vermont, a world leader in integrated, purpose-built soldier solutions, aided a sting operation to arrest owners and representatives of a Chinese company illegally manufacturing and selling counterfeit eyewear. Revision worked in conjunction with the Dearborn and Ohio County Prosecutor’s Office in Indiana to execute this action. The operation was carried out on January 28^th at the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show in Denver, Colorado. Guangzhou Botai Optical Visor Co., Ltd. (“Guangzhou Botai”) U.S. representative and part owner, Gong Peiwen, also known as Daniel Gong, was arrested on the showroom floor. Arrest warrants have also been issued for brothers Jiang Xingde and Jiang Xinglin, co-owners of Guangzhou Botai, and Ding Xiaoxia, also known as Crystal Ding, Sales Associate for Guangzhou Botai, which is based in Guangzhou, China.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine are accepting nominations until March 4^th for the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award that honors an outstanding Vermont business. The deadline for nominating a business is March 4, 2016. To recognize and honor Vermont’s best companies, the Vermont Chamber and Vermont Business Magazine created the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Business of the Year Award in 1990. Named for the former Governor of Vermont, this annual award honors a Vermont business that shows an outstanding history of sustained growth while displaying an acute awareness of what makes Vermont unique. Last year’s winner was Champlain Cable Corporation of Colchester, and recent award winners include Dealer.com, GW Plastics, the Foley Family of Companies, Small Dog Electronics, and BioTek Technologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Farmers, producers, and localvores from across Vermont converged on January 27 for the 5th annual Consumer Night at the Vermont Farm Show in Essex Junction. Held on the second night of the Farm Show, Consumer Night celebrates the diversity of Vermont agriculture with the Winter Buy Local Market and Capital Cook-Off. The Winter Buy Local Market featured over 50 farmers and producers of local cheese, meat, fruits and vegetables, milk, maple syrup, jams, culinary oils, honey, wine, beer, spirits, wool, and handmade crafts as well as ready-to-eat prepared foods such as Maple Wind Farm’s bacon hot dogs and ice cream cones from Kingdom Creamery. Over 500 people shopped and grazed their way through the local product booths, and three raffle prizes were awarded to lucky Buy Local Market customers.

Vermont Business Magazine For the first quarter of fiscal 2016, Keurig Green Mountain (GMCR), the beverage company based in Waterbury, reported that net sales decreased 9% to $1,258.4 million as compared to net sales of $1,386.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. Gross profit for the first quarter of fiscal 2016 was $360.0 million, or 28.6% of net sales, as compared to $464.1 million, or 33.5% of net sales for the prior year period. For the first quarter of fiscal 2016, selling, operating, and general and administrative expenses decreased 20.0% to $198.5 million from $248.2 million for the prior year period. As a percentage of sales, SG&A expenses decreased to 15.8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2016 from 17.9% in the prior year period. The decrease in SG&A over the prior period was primarily attributable to decreases in compensation expenses, due to lower headcount, and decreases in variable marketing expenses.