Current News
by tim
Lawrence Keyes, president, announces that Microdesign Consulting Inc. of
Colchester has been awarded a $10,000 grant from the Vermont Experimental
Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) to develop a
conferencing system for home-based health care.
The grant was awarded to Microdesign in collaboration with Dr. Ge Wu of
the University of Vermont Department of Physical Therapy.
The system, to be deployed using a television set-top box and high-speed
internet connection, is designed for home-based patients who have
difficulty traveling to a clinic for treatment or therapy.
The prototype device will support a study of elder patients who use Tai
Chi exercise to develop and maintain flexibility, balance and muscle tone.
Microdesign is a six year-old corporation in Colchester VT which
specializes in computer network design and information systems planning
and management.
by tim
by Joyce Marcel, Vermont Business Magazine If he were on basketball team, and he played for Vermont, he’d be the captain and the “go-to guy” when the game was on the line. Not a flashy player, but the player in whom all his teammates had confidence, who had confidence in himself and his abilities, to make the big shot. To lead the team to victory.
But Vermont is a state, not a basketball team. And Luther Frederick Hackett, 70 and universally known as Fred, is a conservative, pro-business Republican insurance man and sixth-generation Vermonter who has been the ultimate inside player in Vermont’s political and business establishments – often the same thing – for more than 30 years.
by tim
The Vermont Chamber of Commerce is organizing a business trade mission to Asia and the Pacific Rim this fall. A delegation of Vermont dignitaries and business people will travel to Shanghai, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan for an 11-day trip, October 13 to 23, 2003. The tentative itinerary includes business meetings in all three locations, in addition to a variety of events and receptions.
Lt. Governor Brian Dubie and Vermont Secretary of Commerce Kevin Dorn will lead the Vermont business delegation. Trade mission highlights include:
* Official ribbon cutting and ceremony of the Vermont Chamber Shanghai office.
* Individual targeted meetings for each participating business.
* Evening reception with Taiwan president Chen Shui Bian.
* Participation in the two-day Taiwan Business Alliance Conference.
* Networking opportunities with both Vermont and Asian business and political leaders.
by tim
Mad River Snow, Inc, welcomed Wood &
Wood Design, a Waitsfield, Vermont specialty design firm, as a new partner
in its resort services business. Mad River Snow is a consortium created to
offer a single source for resort construction, interior design, wayfinding
systems, and signage to mountain resorts throughout North America. The
announcement was made jointly today by Jeff Robinson, President of Mad
River Snow, and Sparky Potter, Owner of Wood & Wood Design.
Wood & Wood specializes in designing resort interiors to maximize the
function and profitability of profit centers, promote the use of resort
amenities, enhance customer satisfaction, and increase the potential for
repeat business. The company also creates unique decorative art,
furnishings, award winning way-finding systems and signage. Wood & Wood
creates a sense of place that is unique, ensures that resort guests get
by tim
United Turf Industries, developer of
SofTrak Synthetic Golf Greens the high-performance,
low-maintenance turf for residential and commercial use that closely
simulates the look and feel of natural grass greens today announces
the establishment of a new SofTrak dealership in Vermont and Eastern New
York through Bob Kelly.
Kelly, an avid golfer and longtime member at Burlington Country Club, will
cover Vermont and the counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence,
Warren and Washington in New York with his dealership, SofTrak Synthetic
Golf Greens of Vermont, LLC (802.985.9555 or [email protected]).
Prospective customers can view and test an installed SofTrak Synthetic
Golf Green by appointment. Measuring 1,200 square feet, the SofTrak green
features two feet of fringe around its perimeter and five cups built into
by tim
The Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce has a new Executive Director. The Chamber Board appointed Ruth Wallman, a resident of Burlington, effective immediately. The Islands Chamber of Commerce, located in North Hero, also serves as Grand Isle County’s Regional Planning Corporation and Small Business Development Center, and is the home base for the Regional Marketing Organization for Grand Isle and Franklin Counties.
by tim
Johnson Woolen Mills of Johnson, VT has announced the addition of several new products to its line of famous outdoor clothing. In combination with the announcement, the company has developed a new marketing focus to compliment its current concentration on rugged outerwear for the outdoor enthusiast. According to Johnson's Steve Salls, "for 161 years Johnson Woolen Mills has been renowned for its line of rugged, durable and functional clothing for the outdoors. Certainly, that tradition will continue. In addition, however, we have determined that this fabulous line of Vermont made clothing has remarkable appeal to fashion conscious consumers as well, and not just for men. Many of our newest products are for women and children and we see that as a significant growth area for the company. We are now seeing our products sold in fine, up-scale ladies', men's and children's stores as well as our traditional outdoor retailers. We are also in the process of working with the overseas
by tim
Altum, Inc. announces the release of AltumQR™, a web-based ad-hoc query and reporting tool that provides users a simple, yet powerful, interface to extract information from corporate databases and translate it into meaningful spreadsheets and reports.
"Unlike many product releases, AltumQR™ is the result of over six years of production use and continual enhancement at various Federal agencies." remarks Ken Fang, CEO of Altum, Inc. "AltumQR™ is proven technology that is in use at many organizations both large and small. It provides users reliable and accurate information quickly. At the NIH, ten Institutes, Centers, and Offices are using AltumQR™ as a part of their grants reporting systems to respond to congressional requests and budget justifications everyday."
As a Government-Off-The-Shelf (GOTS) product, AltumQR™ is available to federal agencies with no license fee. We also have flexible license policies for commercial use.
by tim
“I am delighted to announce that John-Michael Girald has recently joined our firm,” said Peter R. Worrell, Managing Director of The Bigelow Company LLC. “Girald's unique experience in having worked with both large corporate and entrepreneurial investment banking firms means that he will be able to bring a broad perspective of value-adding strategies to Bigelow’s clients. This meaningful addition to our professional staff further demonstrates Bigelow’s continuing commitment to bring the best industry talent to bear on our client opportunities.”
by tim
The challenge facing Rhino Foods' was how to insure continuous employment for its
valued people in a business that is seasonal. The solution that Rhino has
adapted and made part of its business practice is to exchange its
employees with companies whose business cycles and seasonal fluctuations
are opposite to that of Rhino's. Rather than placing people on layoff,
these employees work temporarily at the other employers (usually about two
months) and come back to Rhino when they are needed.
Rhino Foods designed
this innovation with the help of those directly affected by the situation.
A survey of participants indicated that they gained new skills and
increased trust in Rhino's communication and commitment to the employees.
The expense reduction results show ongoing trends of improvement. The
Employee Exchange Program aligns with Category 5 - Human Resource Focus of
by tim
The Vermont Student Assistance Corp Board of Directors has
re-elected three of its members to six-year terms. They are Joseph L.
Boutin of Burlington, president of Merchants Bank; David W. Ginevan of
Middlebury, executive vice president of Facilities Planning at Middlebury
College; and Dorothy R. Mitchell of Worcester, who is active in a variety
of higher education and community endeavors.
Joining the VSAC staff as the
new director of Claims, Collections and Compliance is Gregg Mousley of
Cornwall. Mousley previously worked for the Counseling Service of Addison
County in Middlebury. Among his responsibilities at VSAC, Mousley oversees
default aversion and servicing of defaulted loans and ensures that
services for students and families are in compliance with state and
federal regulations.
Two Vermont Student Assistance Corp. executives have been
by tim
William E. Boyle, Jr, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and of Community and Family Medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) was recently honored with the 2003 Pediatrician of the Year award
presented by the New Hampshire Pediatric Society.
Since 1970, Boyle has been practicing his brand of family-centered,
community-centered care at DHMC's Children's Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD).
As both a general pediatrician and a subspecialist in long-term and
chronic illnesses-like cancer, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis-he has seen a
spectrum of conditions far beyond those of the average pediatric practice.
In July of 1997, Dr. Boyle began a community pediatrics program which
teaches doctors in training about community care and the need for child
advocacy. The William E. Boyle, Jr., M.D., Community Pediatrics Program
helps young doctors connect on a compassionate level with children and