Current News

Vermont Business Magazine The Burlington Electric Department (BED) has announced that a 124 kW rooftop solar array at its Pine Street headquarters facility is now online. This is the latest project in the City’s ongoing commitment to add more community solar to its portfolio and brings Burlington’s total installed solar photovoltaic to 88 projects, generating 1.93 megawatts of power for the City. During the anticipated 25-year life of the new solar project, BED expects to save as much as $900,000 in power and related costs, an average of approximately $35,000 annually.

by Governor Peter Shumlin When I came to office in 2011, I made expanding broadband internet access to every last mile a priority. No one thought achieving that goal would be easy, especially since previous governors had set similar goals only to fall short in the end. The same features that make Vermont an ideal place to live – rural communities separated by rolling hills and deep valleys – make expanding broadband incredibly difficult. Despite the challenges, four and a half years later we have achieved the goal we set to get internet access to all Vermonters. Now our work must turn to increasing internet speeds so Vermonters and businesses can keep up with the ever-increasing demands of business, commerce, and everyday life.

Vermont Business Magazine Chroma Technology Corp (www.chroma.com), based in Bellows Fall, has announced Hisashi Okugawa has been named General Manager of Chroma Technology Japan. This creates Chroma’s third sales and technical support office outside the US. The first two are in Germany and China. Together they reinforce Chroma’s commitment to providing the best customer service and precision imaging solutions to the life sciences community worldwide. Okugawa brings over 30 years of industry knowledge and experience from his career with Nikon in their sales strategy, development, engineering and microscope divisions.

Vermont Business Magazine Three individuals will be enshrined in the Vermont Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame later this year. The VAB has announced that the trio of honorees will include VOX AM/FM owner and General Manager Ken Barlow, Local 22 WVNY/Local 44 WFFF Operations Director Ken Kasz and longtime WJOY morning host Ginny McGehee. In addition, the VAB has announced the 2015 Broadcaster of the Year award will be presented to the WPTZ-TV/WNNE-TV news team for its outstanding coverage of the Dannemora prison escape. Longtime WPTZ-TV news reporter and Vermont PBS host Stewart Ledbetter will receive the VAB’s Distinguished Service Award in honor of his outstanding career.

The Alan H. Noyes Community Service Award will be presented to Rutland radio station WSYB-AM in honor of their long-running WSYB Christmas Fund campaign.

Vermont Business Magazine PC Construction, based in South Burlington, will donate a total of $15,000 to colleges participating in an online contest. The winners will be determined completely by public voting. Champlain College, Saint Michael's College and the University of Vermont are among the six finalists. During the month of October, the public is invited to visit www.pcconstruction.com/donations/ to vote for one of six colleges or universities. At the end of the month, the school with the most votes will receive a $10,000 donation, with the second and third place institutions receiving $3,000 and $2,000, respectively.

This is the fifth round of the “Building Communities: PC Construction Gives Back” crowdsourced-giving program that the 100 percent employee-owned construction company started in 2013.

Participating colleges and universities include:

Vermont Business Magazine Secretary of State Jim Condos is pleased to announce the start of his third biennial Transparency Tour. The tour will stop at 12 locations across the state to discuss Vermont’s public records and open meeting laws with municipal and state employees and citizens who serve on local government boards. The public is invited and encouraged to attend.

Secretary said, “Good government is open and transparent government! This tour will not only allow me to assist Vermont’s public officials who must abide by these open meeting and public records laws every day, but also explain these laws to citizens who are looking to hold their governments accountable.”

After a presentation, there will be a chance for Q&A and a general discussion with the audience. Secretary Condos welcomes the chance to answer any questions attendees may have regarding the nuances of these laws.

by Deborah T. Bucknam, Esq Act 46, the new state law which provides for mergers of school districts into larger districts, protects forever all school districts’ present systems whether the district tuitions its students or operates its own school, or a combination of both. The State Board of Education has interpreted Act 46 to mean just the opposite. It has stated: “There is no authority in Act 46 that authorizes a newly formed district/preferred model, to both operate and pay tuition, for the same grade level.” The Board is wrong. Not only does Act 46 allow school districts to retain their present systems, the Act prohibits the Board from disapproving a merger plan because each member district keeps its present system of educating its children.

by Erin Mansfield vtdigger.org Energizer has confirmed that the company will lay off workers at the Bennington plant at an undisclosed time and use “external” resources to manufacture hearing aids. Bonnie Kalinowski, the human resources director for Energizer’s location in Bennington, confirmed on Friday that the company would lay off workers. She did not say how many or when. The plant employs 240 workers, according to Vermont Business Magazine.

The workers make hearing aid batteries for the national company Energizer Holdings, which is publicly traded under $ENR. In August, the company announced it lost $19.6 million in the most recent quarter.

Vermont Business Magazine Ski Vermont presented a contribution check of a record breaking $16,365 to the Keep Local Farms Fund at Fairmont Farm in East Montpelier, VT on Monday, October 5, 2015. The donation comes from the proceeds of Ski Vermont’s Fifth Grade Passport program which enabled nearly 2,500 children to ski and snowboard for free in Vermont during the 2014-15 season.

by Erin Mansfield VTDigger.org The state’s health care regulatory board decided Wednesday to increase the upcoming year’s budget for the Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital. The Green Mountain Care Board decided in a 4-1 vote to reinstate some of the St. Johnsbury hospital’s proposed 2016 fiscal year budget. The vote comes one month after it approved $2.3 billion in budgets among Vermont’s 14 nonprofit hospitals.

The majority of the hospital money approved for disbursement in September went to the UVM Medical Center and Central Vermont Medical Center, but four hospitals had their proposed budgets decreased by the board. The Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital’s total approved was $67.7 million, about $784,000 less than the hospital had requested.

Vermont Business Magazine The Lightning Jar, the newest of a growing number of coworking spaces emerging all over the region, officially opened its doors to members this month, commemorating the occasion with a grand opening celebration on Thursday, October 8. Located inside VSECU’s Bennington Branch on 194 North Street, the coworking space offers Bennington area entrepreneurs, contractors, freelancers and knowledge workers shared, informal, open workspace and business facilities that allow for collaboration, innovation, and networking.

Vermont Business Magazine Drive for Charity is a unique opportunity to donate to the Vermont Foodbank and enter to win a brand new car. For just $5, participants are entered to win a new Subaru Impreza, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, or Toyota Scion tC. Raffle tickets are only available online. The winning vehicle will be furnished by 802 Cars. “We want to raise a ton of money for the Vermont Foodbank, and we hope Vermonters will join us,” said Dave Birmingham, 802 Cars owner. “Brown bag your lunch in place of dining out, and buy a $5 raffle ticket. That $5 will provide 15 meals for Vermonters who face hunger today.”