Current News

Vermont Business Magazine University of Vermont Health Network is moving forward with reductions to administrative and clinical services to comply with Vermont state budget orders and enforcement actions issued by the Green Mountain Care Board (GMCB), the health care regulator in Vermont. These actions will have both an immediate and long-term impact on patients served in the region and, based on current information, will ultimately result in a workforce reduction estimated to be as many as 200 people who currently serve the health care system, including both employed staff and temporary/travel staff. Changes will take place both immediately and over the next several months. Patients will be informed when the timelines and care transitions for impacted services are clear.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Business Magazine BETA Technologies, an electric aerospace company based in Vermont, has successfully completed the first flight of an electric aircraft built on its new rate production line. This marks another significant step in the company’s accelerating production efforts and path toward customer deliveries. The aircraft, an ALIA CTOL, was manufactured at BETA’s production facility in South Burlington. On November 13th, BETA’s CEO, Founder, and Test Pilot, Kyle Clark, conducted the first flight of the production aircraft. The flight, which lasted nearly an hour, included a takeoff, climb to 7000 ft, handling qualities evaluation, stability and control test points and initial airspeed expansion prior to flying several approaches and a normal landing.    

Vermont business Magazine The Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA)  that the fourth annual U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy Trailblazer Legacy Award goes to Mike Solimano, President and CEO of Killington Resort & Pico Mountain. The award, first given to and named for Sen. Patrick Leahy, honors an individual’s lifetime of service in Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy with special recognition for advancing sustainability and equity, investing in local communities and growing the Vermont economy. The award was presented in front of the 165 registrants at VOBA’s sixth annual Vermont Outdoor Economy Summit and annual meeting, held at The Woodstock Inn and Resort.

Vermont Business Magazine TIME has recognized Sunrun CEO Mary Powell for her impactful climate leadership, advancing residential clean energy adoption to reduce fossil fuel usage and strengthen the nation’s energy grid. Powell previously was the CEO of Green Mountain Power, based in Colchester, Vermont. During Powell’s three-year tenure at Sunrun, the company has rapidly grown its impact, adding over 400,000 new customers and achieving a nearly 500% increase in battery installations with 112,000 new storage customers. This growth has contributed to generating approximately 21 billion kilowatt-hours of solar energy, helping to enable the avoidance of nearly 10 million metric tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere.

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont Fish and Wildlife is reminding hunters to wear fluorescent hunter orange. “Hunting is one of the safest outdoor activities, thanks to advances in education as well as science,” said Vermont Hunter Education Program Coordinator Nicole Meier.  “Our volunteer hunter education instructors stress that wearing orange during hunting season is important, and studies prove that wearing fluorescent hunter orange keeps hunters visible to other people in the woods, but it keeps them relatively invisible to deer. Every year we should strive to be the safest we can be by wearing at least a hunter orange hat and vest.”

Vermont Business Magazine Vermont’s Killington Resort, the largest ski and snowboard destination in Eastern North America, will kick off the 2024-25 winter season at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 14th, 2024. This marks the first season as an independent resort and skiers and riders can expect big things in the coming years. Once again, Killington is the first resort in Vermont to open for the winter season. The first turns of the season on November 14th will be reserved exclusively for Killington Season Pass, Beast 365 and Ikon Pass holders. The resort will open to the general public on Friday, November 15th at 9:00 a.m. and will remain open 7 days a week, weather permitting. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) announced today just over $4 million in funding for 13 rehabilitation and revitalization projects in 12 of Vermont’s designated downtown and village centers. These awards will generate over $160 million in building improvements and public infrastructure around the state. Increased investment and program enhancements have been a critical lifeline for economic vitality, as well as for communities and businesses recovering from devastating floods. In the past 10 years, the state tax credit program has leveraged over $28 million in federal rehabilitation tax credits—resulting in the creation and rehabilitation of 338 housing units and support for over 100 businesses in 24 downtowns and 248 village centers.

Vermont Business Magazine Northfield Savings Bank (NSB)is partnering with Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) to support small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) in the state of Vermont. NSB will contribute $60,000 over a two-year period ($30,000 per year) to create a "Maker's Fund" through VMEC. The fund will be used to provide a range of services, based on operational needs, to manufacturers with 20 or less employees to sustain and grow their businesses. VMEC will carry out the work designed to help the SMMs sustain and grow. The partnership began October 1, 2024, and will extend to September 30, 2026.

Vermont Business Magazine Central Vermont Economic Development Corporation (CVEDC) has announced its 2024 Central Vermont Business of the Year and 2024 Innovator of the Year awards, given recently at the nonprofit’s 48th Annual Meeting. The Annual Meeting boasted over 100 guests, filling every seat at the Capitol Plaza Hotel’s Governor’s Ballroom. Senator Peter Welch delivered the keynote address, thanking the business owners of Central Vermont for their dedication to their local economy, and to each other. The senator credited businesses like Union Mutual for remaining in place and keeping employees here, and small businesses like Bear Pond Books, Minikin, Bent Nails Bistro, and Namaste Indian-Nepali Kitchen for their dedication during difficult times.

Vermont Business Magazine Due to an unprecedented demand for free Medicare Open Enrollment counseling assistance this year, Vermont’s five Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) are no longer able to schedule Medicare beneficiaries for appointments for the remainder of this year’s enrollment season. During annual Medicare open enrollment, from October 15 – December 7, Medicare beneficiaries can review their plans and make changes. Vermont’s five AAAs administer the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (“SHIP”), offering free and confidential health insurance counseling. 

Vermont Business Magazine U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont) today released the following statement after the Biden Administration announced there will be no change to U.S. policy in Israel, despite humanitarian organizations, the United Nations, and press investigations showing a failure to end the humanitarian crisis and comply with international humanitarian law: “Accepting ‘small steps’ and empty promises won’t cut it when the devastation created by Israel in Gaza—using U.S. taxpayer funded bombs—is causing a calamity. Human rights and aid organizations made it well known to the Biden Administration this situation isn’t improving in a sustainable way. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is catastrophic and has only deteriorated since Israel began its bombing campaign."

Vermont Business Magazine The following statement is being issued by Kroll Restructuring Administration LLC regarding the Imerys Talc and Cyprus Mines Bankruptcy Cases. If you have a Talc Personal Injury Claim, your rights are affected by an upcoming vote on the plans of reorganization as part of bankruptcy proceedings of Imerys Talc America, Inc., Imerys Talc Vermont, Inc., and Imerys Talc Canada Inc., and potentially Imerys Talc Italy S.p.A and Cyprus Mines Corporation. Capitalized terms used but not defined here have the meanings ascribed to them in the Plans, which are available at IandCtalc.com.