Current News

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vermont) joined her Democratic colleagues to launch the Monopoly Busters Caucus. The Monopoly Busters Caucus will help promote a pro consumer, pro worker, and pro small business economic agenda, ensuring members have support to better communicate Democratic work to combat corporate consolidation. The caucus will work on policy like lowering prices and tackling corporate greed from corporate grocery stores, big agriculture, healthcare consolidation and more. During the 2024 election cycle, over 65 percent of voters polled in seven battleground states and Ohio said they supported the government suing to break up monopolies and economically powerful companies. 

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak and Burlington Electric Department (BED) shared Burlington’s Net Zero Energy (NZE) Roadmap update for 2024 and announced new programs to accelerate electrification throughout the Burlington community. The Roadmap update shows that Burlington’s greenhouse gas emissions in the ground transportation and thermal/buildings sectors are down 19 percent in 2024 compared to the 2018 baseline, representing a 2.8 percent reduction in 2024 compared to updated 2023 data, demonstrating continued climate progress in the two largest emissions sectors in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Smoke & Cure, the acclaimed maker of artisanal smoked meat products, today announced its expansion within Costco’s Northeast Division, bringing its premium meat snacks to millions of new consumers. This expansion coincides with the introduction of the brand's new Hickory Smoked Premium Beef Stick, offering Costco members a high-quality, better-for-you snacking option. Vermont Smoke & Cure's new Hickory Smoked Premium Beef Stick—described as "ribeye in snack format"—features 100% beef that is hand-trimmed and ground to create a delicious, premium smoked meat stick. In 2024 Curion product testing, Vermont Smoke & Cure meat sticks were rated the "best tasting" overall among competitors.

Vermont Business Magazine Champlain College and NuHarbor Security today unveiled a new learning and work facility at Champlain’s Lakeside Campus. The space gives students unprecedented access to experiential learning opportunities and strengthens Vermont’s cybersecurity workforce. The entirely renovated second floor doubles the capacity of the Leahy Center for Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity and becomes NuHarbor Security’s second physical location. Twenty-five NuHarbor staff members will relocate to the campus, fostering real-time engagement with students and faculty. This state-of-the-art facility reflects a shared commitment to building a results-oriented, hands-on approach to workforce development. Supporting over 100 students each semester, the partnership between Champlain and NuHarbor demonstrates how higher education and private business can join forces to create meaningful career pathways. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today issued the following statement: “I’ve been clear, we must not allow ourselves to be distracted or live in a constant state of fear, anger or outrage over the next 45 months. Instead, we need principled and responsible leadership because there is too much work to do right here in Vermont like building more housing and making Vermont more affordable. We’ll continue to separate rhetoric from reality and make decisions based on what’s in the best interest of Vermont and Vermont’s values."

by Jenney Samuelson, Secretary Agency of Human Services Vermont has long been a leader in treatment for addiction and substance use, particularly through its Hub and Spoke model, launched nearly a decade ago to address the opioid epidemic. This approach brought treatment into mainstream, integrating into doctor’s offices and expanding access to services through regional hubs. It made Vermont one of the top states for accessing care and significantly reduced stigma around seeking help. However, the landscape of substances in use has evolved over the past 10 years. What we are seeing now is an increasingly complex drug supply in Vermont that mixes the potent opioid fentanyl with stimulants like methamphetamines and cocaine, and adulterants like xylazine, leading to complex addictions and complex treatment.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, Treasurer Pieciak announced that over one thousand employers have enrolled in the Vermont Saves program. The program provides a simple, no-cost solution for Vermont employers to offer their workers a retirement savings plan. Since opening for enrollment in December 2024, Vermonters participating in Vermont Saves have collectively saved hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement. Employers who at any time have 5 or more employees and do not currently offer their workers a retirement plan are required to sign up for Vermont Saves. Their employees will automatically be enrolled in a Roth IRA account with flexible options to save at their own pace.  

Vermont Business Magazine LaunchVT, a division of the Lake Champlain Chamber, has selected eight Vermont startups to participate in its 2025 Accelerator. This is the 13th cohort to come through LaunchVT’s flagship program. Since 2013, LaunchVT has provided business development support, strategic coaching, and over $1.3 million in cash and services to accelerate 87 Vermont startups statewide. Entrepreneurs in the LaunchVT cohort will work with a dedicated business coach and strategic advisors to address their startup’s most pressing needs. Over the 12-week program, which kicked off on April 2, they will also participate in peer sessions, office hours with business advisors, and workshops with content experts. 

Vermont Historical Society We are sad to report the passing of historian and former VHS Executive Director Michael Sherman. He was an enormous figure in the world of Vermont history, and for decades played a major role in the scholarship, organization, and study of the field. He was 81 years old. Michael was VHS’s Executive Director from 1985 to 1995 and remained as editor of our scholarly journal, Vermont History until his passing. In 2004, he co-authored (with Gene Sessions and Jeffrey Potash) Freedom and Unity: A History of Vermont, and was the author of numerous books and articles that explored and enriched our understanding of our state’s story.

The Vermont Chamber of Commerce is hosting a press conference on April 10 at 11:30 AM as part of Tourism Economy Day from 8 AM-5 PM, an event that brings together industry leaders, legislators, and policymakers to highlight the significant economic contributions of Vermont's tourism and hospitality industries. The press conference will feature key business and legislative leaders discussing the impact of these industries and addressing current challenges. Tourism Economy Day is organized by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Ski Vermont, and Vermont Specialty Food Association.

Vermont Business Magazine A climate leader from Michigan will share her expertise at the 20th Annual Normal Williams Distinguished Lecture in Land Use Planning and the Law hosted by Vermont Law and Graduate School on April 10. Dr. Sarah Mills, director of the Center for EmPowering Communities at the University of Michigan's Graham Sustainability Institute, will serve as speaker for the event. Wind and solar projects may affect as much as 15% of the continental land area by the year 2050, the vast majority in rural areas. Mills will discuss the ways infrastructure and state policies related to siting and zoning authority, property taxes and utilities impact rural municipalities and the ability to deploy renewable solutions with community goals in mind.

Vermont Business Magazine CCTV Center for Media & Democracy is experiencing direct impacts from recent federal funding cuts, including reductions to programs that support the CCTV Archives and the Vermont Language Justice Project (VLJP). These cuts have a significant impact on CCTV’s ability to meet community needs. The Vermont Language Justice Project (VLJP) built on and supported by a CDC Health Equity grant, allows people with language access needs the ability to make informed decisions about their physical and mental health, their safety, as well as navigating everyday life in the USA, by creating public service videos in 21 of the languages spoken in Vermont.  Federal actions and cuts that have targeted health care and health equity and in turn refugees, im/migrants, and asylees, is having a chilling effect on the people served by the project, potentially limiting the project’s capacity to serve these diverse language communities in Vermont.