Current News

Tag New Media (TNM) has announced the launch of the hummel America website. Hummel, a soccer equipment and branded apparel company based in Denmark, partnered with TNM to assist them with their online expansion into the U.S. market.
The Flash™-based hummelamerica.com website, reflects the
company's mission of branding by story-telling. The site's interactive and youthful feel invites visitors to explore the hummel brand by interacting with virtual "Polaroids" placed within a hummel "keepsake" shoe box. Each "Polaroid" represents one of hummel's ten key brand messages.
Brian Kukon, CEO of hummel America says, “Tag New Media represents the cutting-edge, advanced thinking and dynamic team approach used in website development much the same as hummel approaches the soccer and fashion industries. Our companies have the same synergy."

First Brandon National Bank, Brandon Vermont has earned a 5-Star rating from BauerFinancial, Inc., Coral Gables, Florida, the nation’s leading independent bank rating firm. Five-stars denotes the absolute highest level of banking performance.
First Brandon National Bank has earned the coveted 5-star rating for six consecutive quarters. (The award is based on an analysis of current financial data supplied by federal regulators, supplemented by historical data.)
“We constantly receive phone calls from people worried about where they are putting their money; and with good reason,” noted Karen Dorway, president of the research firm. “With rouge institutions popping up on the Internet and elsewhere, many falsely claiming to be FDIC insured, it’s important to know there are still principled people running good, solid banks. First Brandon National Bank is one of those banks…a bank you can have confidence in.”

Creative Habitat at Ben Franklin, formerly known as Ben Franklin, has a new name and a new face. What remains, is the tradition of quality and customer satisfaction, the store’s independence, and the successful co-ownership of Mark and Michael Dowling.
“Our neighborhood has had a significant facelift in the last year,” Michael Dowling explained, “Mark and I decided it was the appropriate time for us to further develop the potential of our store, using our experience in the industry and the latest industry trends.”
“The new colors we chose, indigo blue and lime green, are those that are best representative of the vibrant and lively direction of the home décor industry,” added Mark Dowling. “Kehoe & Kehoe Design of Burlington worked with us to develop our new look.”

The University of Vermont is pleased to announce that Janice St. Onge has joined the Vermont Business Center at the University of Vermont's School of Business as their Director of Business Education and team member of the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, a new incubator initiative affiliated with the University of Vermont.
Prior to joining the University, Janice served as Technology Business Development Director for the Vermont Department of Economic Development, where she was responsible for helping to create and manage Vermont's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Outreach Program. In October 2001, Janice received the National Tibbetts Award from the U.S. Small Business Administration, given in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the promotion of the SBIR program and technology business development in Vermont. In 2002, Janice received the Outstanding State Employee award from Vermont Governor James Douglas.

Hubbardton Forge, a manufacturer of hand-forged wrought-iron lighting, located in Castleton, VT, announced the distribution of its 2003 profit bonus, amounting to $1,137,000 total contribution, split between the employee's 401(k) retirement accounts (which are fully vested on day one) and a direct cash distribution. Divided among its 181 employees, the combination of 401(k) and cash bonus distribution averaged about 20% of each employee's annual compensation.

Announcing the formation of the McLuhan & Davies Center for Communication Studies (in partnership with Think on Your Feet America) based in Vermont.
The Center will hold its first annual conference the week of June 1-5, 2004, and feature special sessions of McLuhan & Davies communication-skills workshops.
This special event will allow participants to participate in McLuhan & Davies’ internationally acclaimed communication-skills training at a center in the United States.
“We wanted a US-based Center to make it more convenient for the American market to take our training workshops,” says Think on Your Feet America, President John Dames.
McLuhan & Davies is a world leader in communications training and consulting. It is represented globally by over 100 Affiliates, and many of the world’s major executive institutes.

Vermont Pure Holdings, Ltd announced that it has sold its retail production assets, located in Randolph Center, Vermont to Micropack Bottled Water of Natick, MA. Included in the sale are the bottling facility and spring sites in Randolph Center and the associated business.
"This is one of a series of steps Vermont Pure is taking to strengthen and expand our core home and office delivery business," states Tim Fallon, Chairman and CEO. "The divestiture of the single-pack retail segment of the business is a strategic and logical evolution for Vermont Pure. We believe that this business change will provide the necessary capital, expertise and attention so that all aspects of the Vermont Pure brand reach their full potential."

Ani DiFranco’s latest CD, Evolve, just won a 2004 Grammy for the Best Recording Package. This innovative package, constructed of FiberMark’s Skivertex® Alloy®, expresses and elevates brand image with a feel and visual depth that invites interaction. This duplex material combines strength and rigidity with the high-impact aesthetics needed to create an award-winning package.
This distinctive design comes as no surprise to Ani DiFranco’s loyal fans, who recognize packaging as an important extension of the artist’s vision. The CD was co-art directed by Ani DiFranco and Brian Grunert.
“In its look and feel, this material is key in designing a package that expresses the unique qualities of Ani’s music,” said Grunert. “Not only is it eye-catching on the shelf, but it invites people to touch the package, pick it up, examine it, and hopefully take it home with them.”

Sector Systems, a provider of organization-wide software solutions for nonprofits, in partnership with the New England Network for Youth, Child and Family Services, a nonprofit organization that works collaboratively with child and youth service organizations in New England to strengthen social services and promote best practices, have announced a collaborative effort to help child- and youth-serving agencies effectively collect, analyze and report their outcomes to their funders and the communities they serve.

The Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations presents the Spring 2004 Technical Assistance Program (TAP-VT) Workshop Series. This spring, VANPO will offer over forty (40) TAP-VT workshops designed to enhance and expand the management and technical skill of nonprofit employees in the following areas:
Advocacy and Public Policy, Board Development, Financial Management, Fundraising, Marketing and Public Relations, Personal Development and Leadership, and Organizational Development and Management for the nonprofit sector.
The Spring 2004 TAP-VT Workshop Series has sessions scheduled March through June in the following Vermont towns:
Barre, Brattleboro, Burlington, Colchester, Lyndonville, Middlebury, Montpelier, Randolph, Rutland, Springfield, St. Albans, St. Johnsbury, Waterbury, White River Junction.
Full workshop descriptions and registration information is available at www.vanpo.org.

Discussions are underway in the Senate General Affairs Committee to direct the Vermont World Trade Office to be managed under the Vermont Chamber's existing international trade program, in conjunction with Champlain College, the U. S Department of Commerce and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development. These partners collectively will strategically collaborate to encourage international trade on behalf of Vermont businesses. Funding would come through a memorandum of understanding and initially would be a $100,000 grant.
While this is a significantly different model than the current World Trade Office, this new business entity will be driven by the concerns of the business community while having capital knowledge input from the educational community as well as state and federal government.

Maponics, LLC. (www.maponics.com), the premier provider of ZIP Code maps and custom mapping solutions, announced today the release of its Nationwide ZIP Code Map CD.
State level ZIP Code maps are used to identify existing and prospective customers by ZIP Code, and to take advantage of steep USPS bulk mail discounts for mailing by ZIP Code. These maps are equally invaluable for managing sales/service territories, and exploring new site locations. For companies working in multiple states, the Maponics Nationwide ZIP Code CD offers unique value, providing access to the entire U.S. for less than the price of seven individual state maps.