Current News

The Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce has announced that Rutland has a new “Front Door to the Region”, RutlandVermont.com. The Chamber’s website has been completely re-designed by Green Mountain Marketing & Advertising. This leading edge website has integrated new features including a responsive web design that formats to fit most internet ready devices. The new website has integrated social media plug- ins and is fully optimized for maximum search engine performance to give businesses exposure on Google, Yahoo and Bing.

Governor Peter Shumlin on Friday administered the oath of office to a number of Vermont’s State’s Attorneys elected by the people of their respective counties. State’s Attorneys represent the people of the State of Vermont in criminal court cases ranging from DUI to homicide, in child protection matters, and in family court cases.

New Hampshire Thrift Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: NHTB), the holding company for Lake Sunapee Bank, fsb, with branches in New Hampshire and Vermont, today announced results for the fourth quarter and the year ended December 31, 2014. Consolidated net income for the fourth quarter of 2014 was $2.9 million, or $0.34 per diluted common share, compared to $2.7 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2014. Consolidated net income for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $10.0 million, or $1.19 per diluted common share, compared to $8.4 million, or $1.11 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2013.

by Morgan True vtdigger.org Governor Peter Shumlin wants to increase Medicaid payments to reduce the ripple effect that causes privately insured people to pay more. Medicaid reimburses providers at 60 percent of what private insurers pay for services. People who pay private insurance premiums pick up the difference in higher rates in what is known as the cost shift. The governor’s proposal seeks to reduce the growth in private premiums by $90 million by implementing a 0.7 percent payroll tax. The $90 million would draw down roughly $99 million in federal Medicaid matching money for a total of $189 million for Shumlin’s health care package.

OpenTempo, a healthcare IT company that reduces the cost of providing healthcare by helping hospitals optimize workforce efficiency, is expanding its offices to accommodate its rapidly increasing staff. Between December and January, six new employees were brought on, all based in Vermont.

“OpenTempo loves being a Vermont company,” says Brian McNabb, Vice President of Professional Services. “We are able to help the local community by providing green, high-paying jobs while also helping our company's performance by adding very talented individuals with Vermont values.”

The new hires include:

Cheryl Medley, Senior Implementation Consultant
Lisa McGee, Senior Implementation Consultant

Joe Simpson, Associate Implementation Consultant

Stacy Bressette, Associate Education and Documentation Specialist
Ben Jenkins, Service Analyst

Devin Nasar, Associate Implementation Developer

Ledyard Financial Group, based in Hanover, NH, with offices in Vermont, (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced today a $0.03 increase to its quarterly dividend, based in Hanover, NH, with offices in Vermont. The dividend of $0.48 is payable March 3, 2015 to shareholders of record as of February 13, 2015. The dividend was last increased by $0.04 for the dividend paid during September 2014. Strength in the Company’s core businesses is supporting the ability to continue with its dividend payouts and ensure that its shareholders benefit from the Company’s improved earnings.

Ratebeer.com today released its list of the world's top brewers, with Hill Farmstead from Greensboro, Vermont, rated the world's number one brewery. The top 100 brewers in the world are ranked according to reviews taken last year and weighted by performance within and outside of style, balanced by indicators of depth. The winners here are presented by top 10 and country of origin and reflect the top performing brewers of over 19,000 listed at RateBeer. Along with Hill Farmstead, Vermont place to other brewers in the Top 100: Lawsons Finest Liquids from Warren and The Alchemist from Waterbury.

Merchants Bancshares, Inc (NASDAQ: MBVT), the parent company of Merchants Bank, today announced net income of $2.50 million, or $0.40 per basic and $0.39 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2014. This compares to net income of $3.82 million, or $0.61 per basic and $0.60 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2013. For the year ended December 31, 2014, net income totaled $12.13 million, or $1.92 per basic and $1.91 per diluted share, compared to net income of $15.13 million, or $2.40 per basic and diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2013. The return on average assets was 0.59% and 0.73% for the three months and year ended December 31, 2014, respectively, compared to 0.91% and 0.90% for the same periods in 2013.

Thomas Hark, president and CEO of Vermont Youth Conservation Corps joined Vermont Tech President Dan Smith Thursday in announcing the new Working Lands Certificate Program at the Vermont Farm Show in Essex Junction. Venture Semester, a VYCC and Vermont Tech partnership program, is designed to immerse students in agriculture, food, and leadership, as well as enhance high school graduates’ access to higher education.

Dan Smith, left, and Thomas Hark.

“I believe fervently that partnerships like this one will be the infrastructure of the next decade.” Said Dan Smith, Vermont Tech’s president. “The future is in finding ways to do more for Vermont and for students with our partners than we can each do alone.”

The Vermont Dairy Industry brings $2.2 Billion in economic activity to Vermont annually, according to a new study funded by the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council. Findings from the study were unveiled Thursday at the Vermont Farm Show in Essex. Recognizing the need for up-to-date data about dairy’s impact on Vermont’s economy, the Vermont Dairy Promotion Council partnered with the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, and Castleton Polling to quantify the impact of the industry on Vermont’s economy and way of life. The study, which began in March 2014, was funded by dairy farmers through the state’s dairy check-off program.

The data has been consolidated in a new brochure called “Milk Matters: The Role of Dairy in Vermont,” which can be downloaded here http://vermontdairy.com/download/VTDairy_MilkMattersReport.pdf

How well do you know your state? If you’re in the hospitality industry, it pays to know everything you can about Vermont. The Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing has created a new series of online classes for employees at Vermont lodgings and attractions. The online Ambassador Training program focuses on Vermont branding, state parks, history, heritage and more. Ambassador Training also offers valuable customer service tips, and insight into consumer trends such as agritourism and culinary travel. The training is free and geared specifically to Vermont’s travel and hospitality-related businesses.

Darn Tough Vermont, American manufacturer of the fastest growing collection of outdoor performance socks, has partnered with Special Olympics Vermont for the 2015 Penguin Plunge and Winter Games events. In honor of the 20^th Anniversary of the Penguin Plunge, sponsor Darn Tough Vermont will provide complimentary pairs of wool socks to Plungers who raise $520 or more. Darn Tough will also outfit all 200 Special Olympics Vermont athletes who compete in the 2015 Winter Games.

The Penguin Plunge is Special Olympics Vermont’s largest annual fundraising event, raising nearly half of the organization’s annual operating budget. Nearly 1,500 people are expected to jump into Vermont’s icy lakes in North Bennington (Jan. 31), Newport (Feb. 1) and Burlington (February 7) to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics Vermont.