Current News

The 17th annual Burlington Mardi Gras Sunday was a huge success, in part due to the excellent weather. Over 30 floats participated in the parade on Main Street. Business was booming with an estimated 20,000 spectators.

Church Street, Burlington VT

Former Governor Howard Dean, left, helped Burlington mayoral candidate Miro Weinberger, right, campaign during the festivities.

Hundreds participated in the Pararde.

Spectators from all over joined in the Festivities.

AllScripts's Angry Birds Float

Birdy Slingshot

One of the best floats of 2012.

Street Performers engaged spectors before the parade.

Even Chewbaccagot in on the Mardi Gras Fun.

Photo Courtesy of Nick Rivers, Vermont Business Magazine.

The owner of Green Mountain Power and Vermont Gas Systems has secured a new line of financing. Gaz Métro inc (GMi) has announced that it has entered into a new credit agreement with its bank syndicate providing for a$600 millionsecured revolving credit facility which will mature onMarch 2, 2017.
The new credit facility, which replaces the$400 millioncredit facility originally put in place onDecember 21, 2004, is guaranteed by Gaz Métro Limited Partnership (Gaz Métro) and is comprised of a revolving loan available to GMi and a swingline loan available to GMi and GazMétro. Besides the$200 millionincrease in the size of the facility and the extended maturity, the terms of the new credit agreement are substantially similar to the agreement previously in place. The new credit facility is also secured by collateral security backed by the assets of GMi and Gaz Métro.
Overview of Valener, GazMétro and GMi

John Dwyer, President and CEO of New England Federal Credit Union (NEFCU) has announced that the credit union has surpassed $1 billion in serviced first mortgages.
‘This is a truly significant milestone for NEFCU. To put the achievement in context, out of 7,000 credit unions nationwide, NEFCU ranks in the top 25.’
Dwyer lauded the commitment and expertise underlying such an accomplishment.
‘It is a testament to the significant talents and personal efforts of our mortgage staff as well as all of those who support them.’
Williston, VT, March 2, 2012

Maple Landmark Woodcraft of Middlebury has reached an agreement with the Smithsonian Institution to supply the museum with select Vermont made wooden items.
The Smithsonian Institution came under harsh criticism and made headlines when United States Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT, tried to buy American made gifts for Christmas 2010 at the one of the Smithsonian Gift Shops and found nothing but imports. Senator Sanders was appalled that even the busts of our Founding Fathers were made in China.
Jill Stackhouse, Sales Manager at Maple Landmark, had been working for several years to get Maple Landmark’s American made products into the museum but no one seemed to notice or care. ‘Senator Sanders did a great job at shining a light on the issue but even then getting noticed by Smithsonian buyers was difficult. Ultimately, we would not be selling to the Smithsonian Gift Shops without the constant pressure from Senator Sanders or his staff.’

Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty released the Year-End real estate market report for Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle, and Addison counties reflecting home sales and trends for 2011. The report analyzes the data for each county, town, and within Chittenden County provides a unique analysis by school district.
The Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty Market Report reveals sales volume across Chittenden, Franklin, Grand Isle and Addison counties rose 7% over last year, while the median sale price for residential properties’ single-family homes, condominiums and mobile homes ‘gained about 1%. The region last year demonstrated a healthy, robust sell-to-list price ratio of 96%, while pending sales remained consistent, signaling a steady stream of transactions.

Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) Friday announced $3 million in new funding for a wide range of locally managed water quality, fisheries and ecosystem restoration work on Lake Champlain during the coming year.
The federal dollars, just recently confirmed, are part of the newly enacted federal budget for this federal fiscal year. Leahy is a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the funds he secures for Vermont have long been the main engine for cleanup efforts involving the Lake and its watershed.
Leahy was joined by Vermont Secretary of Natural Resources Deb Markowitz and other state and federal officials and by dozens of leaders of local watershed groups in making the announcement at the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at the Leahy Center for Lake Champlain on Burlington’s waterfront.

New York, New York -- McGraw-Hill Construction today reported on January contractsfor future construction in the state of Vermont.
An authority on the construction market, the firm produces Dodge Reports and Sweets Catalog Files.
According to the Research and Analytics unit of McGraw-Hill Construction, the latest month's construction activity followed this pattern:

2012
2011
Percent Change

Non-Residential
$2,862,000
$13,315,000
-79%

Residential
$12,077,000
$8,934,000
35%

Nonbuilding
$8,066,000
$12,075,000
-33%

Total Construction
$23,005,000
$34,324,000
-33%

For the year-to-date on a cumulative basis, the totals are:

2012
2011
Percent Change

Non-Residential
$2,862,000
$13,315,000
-79%

Residential
$12,077,000
$8,934,000
35%

The Vermont Software Developers Alliance {vStDA} announced today that it received 21 excellent applications for the Bentley Award and is seeking additional contributions to fund them all. The Alliance sought applications from Vermont schools to develop projects related to science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM.) In just a few weeks, they received 21 applications from schools all over the state competing for three iPads and a $3,000 prize.
The decision to try to fund all the applications came after John Canning, President of Physician’s Computer Company, found it difficult ‘to choose among the many excellent applications received’. The projects ranged from using iPads to teach disabled children to read to expanding weather data observation
capabilities on an existing weather station located at the school. Canning said that, ‘It’s tough to say no to kids, especially when you understand the importance

TheRutland Region Chamber of Commerceis excited to announce the RRCC Business Show 2012!The show will be held this year on March 13, 2012 ‘ 4pm-7:30pm at the Holiday Inn and is sponsored by Rutland Regional Medical Center.
This year's show will feature 95 area businesses representing a diverse group of business and organizations exhibiting everything from home services and products, automobiles, health care, restaurants, retailers and much much more.There will be many great door prizes, special raffle, great food and lots of fun! The event is open to the public. Admission is $3 per person to benefit The Chamber.Parking is free and a shuttle will be on site.VIP Parking is also available (pre-purchase, $20 includes admission for 2).
For more information call the Chamber at 773-2747 or go towww.rutlandvermont.com.

Nearly five months ago, a devastating fire destroyed the1823 building at 247 Pearl Street, Burlington that housed Associates inPeriodontics. Recognizing the potential impact to the local community,Doctors Brian Shuman and Matt Kolesar immediately began designing floorplans that would accommodate a new, state-of-the-art office.
With over 4,700 patients to serve, they knew they had to act fast. In justfour months, after tearing down at one location and rebuilding in another,the same great team opened its doors in South Burlington on January 16that 1775 Williston Road.
According to Dr. Shuman, ³It feels like we ran a marathon with our eyesconstantly focused straight ahead, never for even a minute veering offcourse. Determined to make it to the finish line while striving for apersonal best record time.²

Casella Waste Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CWST), a regional vertically-integrated solid waste, recycling and resource management services company, today reported financial results for its third quarter fiscal year 2012, and provided updated guidance for its 2012 fiscal year.
Highlights for the quarter included:

Revenue growth of 2.6 percent over the same quarter last year.
Overall solid waste pricing growth of 0.8 percent was primarily driven by collection pricing growth of 2.1 percent as a percentage of collection revenues.
Adjusted EBITDA* was $22.2 million for the quarter, down $0.2 million from same quarter last year.

A $1.5 million estate provision from an alumnus of the University of Vermont will establish a professorship in electrical engineering in the School of Engineering.
The professorship will be named the L. Richard Fisher Professorship in Electrical Engineering after the donor, a retired Silicon Valley sales executive who grew up in Hardwick, Vt., and earned UVM degrees in electrical engineering in 1947 and in business in 1949. Fisher has chosen to start funding for the professorship immediately through his annual giving so that its benefits can begin to be felt during his lifetime.