Current News

BURLINGTON, Vt.--Champlain College hosted a ribbon cutting this week to welcome the Vermont Global Trade Partnership to its campus in Burlington. Vermont business people can now access a broad range of trade services in one location in the S.D. Ireland Family Center for Global Business and Technology at 391 Maple Street on the Champlain College campus.
The Partnership's Burlington office will service businesses in Northwestern Vermont that want to explore markets abroad. Trade professionals from the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce Foreign Commercial Service, and Vermont Agency of Agency of Commerce and Community Development hold offices in the new site, which is situated next to faculty members from Champlains International Business Leadership program--the only academic program of its kind in the state.

Kazam Natural Body Care, An Organic Health and Beauty Product company dedicated to better serve your family! Ms. Marjorie Moutari is the founder and CEO of Kazam Natural Body Care LLC. A family based business which manufactures Natural Body Care and Organic Health and Beauty Products. These products are available online, in beauty shops and from mail order. The company does special orders and gift baskets and ship all over the United States. These organic health and body care products are also available at home parties and in other stores. Some of our customers and clients includes Celebrities, Fashion Models and Diplomats.

JMM & Associates, a local CPA firm, is pleased to announce the addition of a new shareholder, Jeffrey M. Morin, CPA. Jeff has over 20 years of public accounting experience and specializes in small business and tax. He received his Master of Science-Taxation from Bentley College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from UVM. He lives in Essex Center with his wife, Dr. Wendy James, and their two daughters.
JMM & Associates also announces the addition of a new staff accountant, Megan Albrecht. Megan specializes in auditing and previously worked with a national accounting firm. She received her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from St. Michael's College. Megan and her husband, Tim Davidson, reside in Colchester.

NORWICH UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES MAJOR CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
NORTHFIELD, VT - Norwich University President Dr. Richard Schneider launched the largest capital campaign in the University's 186 years of existence. The announcement was made to over 850 Norwich University supporters during Homecoming 2005 ceremonies on September 24.
The campaign, "Norwich Forever!," has a goal to raise $55 million. Money raised will fund initiatives in NU2019, the strategic plan to prepare for a third century of service, which begins after Norwich celebrates its bicentennial in 2019. Another $45 million will be borrowed to fund additional initiatives. The projects and "Norwich Forever!" funds designated for them include:

Vermont Business Magazine IDX Systems Corp in South Burlington has agreed to be acquired by GE Healthcare, based in London, England, for $1.2 billion. The price reflects GEs offer to buy IDX stock for $44 per share. IDX has 2,400 employees, 850 of whom work in Vermont. IDX will become part of the GE Healthcare IT division. Officials said there are no immediate plans to change employment levels in Vermont.

GE Healthcare IT is based in Chicago and is a division of GE Healthcare, based in London, England. The agreement was reached September 28 and announced the next morning. The deal is expected to close early 2006.

BURTON PRESIDENT LAURENT POTDEVIN PROMOTED TO CEO
9/29/05
Burlington, VT - Burton's President Laurent Potdevin will assume the
title of President and CEO, formalizing his role overseeing all Burton
brands and shared services on a global level including Burton Snowboards,
Gravis, R.E.D., ANON, Analog and The Program. Since Jake Burton Carpenter
founded the company in 1977, he has been the sole CEO.

"I couldn't be more stoked about this promotion for Laurent," says Jake.
"Laurent has worked hard and been tough, but fair in his leadership. He
has made us all better at what we do. I have been here close to 30 years,
and in that time I have never felt that someone was deserving of the CEO
title until now."

WINDSOR, Vt. Vermont and New Hampshire tourism officials today formally announced that the Connecticut River Byway, running from Brattleboro, Vermont to Pittsburgh, New Hampshire, has been named a National Scenic Byway by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

For Immediate Release: Contact: Leigh Tofferi
September 27, 2005 (802) 223-6131
BLUE CROSS AND BLUE SHIELD OF VERMONT AWARDED MEDICARE PART D CONTRACT
Berlin, VT Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (BCBSVT) will offer a new line of Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Programs (PDPs) to Medicare-eligible Vermonters under a contract approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), BCBSVT announced today.
The new prescription drug programs will help improve the affordability of medications and, as a result, increase access to prescription drugs for Medicare beneficiaries. The programs will be marketed this fall and go into effect on January 1, 2006.
The high cost of prescription drugs is a serious issue for many elderly and disabled Vermonters, and these new PDP programs will offer them significant relief, said William R. Milnes, Jr., BCBSVTs president and chief executive officer.

BURLINGTON, Vt.--With generous support from a broad coalition of employees, family and friends of IDX Systems Corporation, Champlain College dedicated its multimillion-dollar student life center on September 23, naming it the IDX Student Life Center.
The 42,000-square-foot facility at the heart of campus underscores the Colleges goal of offering a full menu of extracurricular and co-curricular activities for all students. The leadership, recreational and fitness habits that Champlain students develop in the new building will serve for them for a lifetime.

FOR MOONDYNE AGENCY, SCHOOL'S IN.
Moondyne Agency has added assignments from Lake Champlain Waldorf School. The ad agency is providing the Shelburne based school with re-branded identity, print, and direct mail. Moondyne principal Ted Kohn opened the agency doors in Burlington this past Spring, offering brand advertising solutions to regionally based businesses. Kohn has held creative posts at a number of shops including Deutsch, Bates, Wunderman, and Doner.

New Distribution Center to Serve Northeast and Canada

September 19, 2005

Terminal to Serve Canada

REM Builds Largest Distribution Center in Northeast

New England Motor Freight has opened a new 72
door trucking terminal, 1087 Avenue D Extension,
Williston, VT. This is the largest such facility in New
England and features advanced computerized fiber
optic tracing systems powered by the IBM AS/400
computer with state-of-the-art enhancements.

ESSEX JUNCTION, Vt. - The 84th annual Champlain Valley Fair lived up to its theme of 'Awesome' with 290,128 people -- down from 2004 -- coming through the gates from Aug. 27 to Sept. 5. The slight dip in attendance from last years 299,168, may be due to the dramatic effects of Hurricane Katrina and resulting increase in gas prices, fair officials said this week.
Still, visitors from 45 states and as far away as New Zealand, California and Hawaii attended the 10-day fair, concert series and agricultural competitions.
There were plenty of smiles to go around, especially for fair food venders who saw their sales rise by about 3 percent, making it the best year ever at the Fair for purveyors of fried dough, corn on the cob and cotton candy.