Current News

by Kevin Chu & Amy Spear On April 8th, over 160,000 people visited Vermont to observe the solar eclipse. Vermont briefly surpassed the 802,000 population goal that the Vermont Futures Project set last year, and we saw a glimpse of the vibrancy that’s possible in our state. Our downtowns and villages were full of life, full of people engaging in commerce and connecting with communities. When totality occurred, there was a palpable sense of shared humanity and joy. For three and a half minutes, it didn’t matter if the person next to you was a visitor or resident. It didn’t matter if they were rich or poor, what languages they spoke, the color of their skin, or who they loved. For three and a half minutes, we were all human. What we observed in the sky was rightfully described by many as a once-in-a-lifetime event. What happened on the ground doesn’t have to be. Vermont needs more people, and more people need Vermont, whether it’s for a day, a week, months, or years.

Vermont Business Magazine Since 2016, Ethan Tapper has been the Chittenden County Forester for the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. In this role he has been recognized as a leader in the forestry and conservation community and received numerous awards and distinctions, including being named the Northeast-Midwest State Foresters’ Alliance Forester of the Year in 2021 and the American Tree Farm System’s National Outstanding Inspector (forester) of the Year in 2024. Now, Tapper is embarking on a new adventure. Tapper’s first book – How to Love a Forest: The Bittersweet Work of Tending a Changing World – will be published by Broadleaf Books on September 10, 2024 (pre-order is available now). Tapper will be stepping down as Chittenden County Forester on May 31 to publicize his book and to start his own consulting forestry business – Bear Island Forestry.

Vermont Business Magazine Common Good Vermont is now accepting applications for this year’s Nonprofit Training and Consulting Certificate. This program supports nonprofit consultants, facilitators, and community builders. In its second year, this program combines virtual and in-person learning. Participants will engage in live training, cohort learning, peer networking and self-guided work over four weeks in May of 2024 fostering discussions and connections among those who support Vermont’s nonprofit sector. Our list of trainers and speakers includes some of Vermont’s leading nonprofit consultants, professionals, and leaders. This year’s program will start on May 8th and will wrap up with a graduation and networking event on May 30th.

by Todd Heyman After what can only be described as a near uniform consensus in the state that Act 250 requires reforms in order to meet the challenge of the housing crisis and promote agricultural viability by facilitating diversification, the Vermont Legislature is proposing to do the unthinkable to achieve such reform in H.687: give the Natural Resources Board the authority to police itself by removing the Environmental Court from its role of ensuring compliance with Act 250. The supposed justification is that the Environmental Court takes too long and doesn’t think “deeply” enough. Rather, it merely announces whether a proposed project complies with the Act 250 statute or not.

Vermont Business Magazine Last week, the Manufacturing Institute (MI)—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—honored two outstanding women from GlobalFoundries (Nasdaq: GFS) (GF) at their annual Women MAKE Awards. Jennifer (Jenny) Robbins, Senior Director, Central Facilities, was recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards Honoree, while Katelyn Harrison, Senior Integration Engineer, was honored as an Emerging Leader. The Women MAKE Awards is a prestigious national program that honors women who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and excellence in their careers, representing all levels of the manufacturing industry, from the factory floor to the C-suite.

Shelburne Museum Join us Saturday, May 11, for Art, Music, & Tours. Just in time for Mother's Day, Shelburne Museum opens for the season on Saturday, May 11. To celebrate the exciting new season, we're holding Community Day with free admission. Come experience inspiring new exhibitions and visit the beloved galleries, buildings, and gardens that make Shelburne Museum a place like no other. Saturday, May 11, 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Free admission, live music, art making activities, garden and gallery tours, and more.

Vermont Business Magazine Spruce Peak Realty announces a total of more than $80 million in closed sales for The Treehouse, a spectacular four-story mountain retreat and the first all-electric building of its kind in Stowe. It is the fourth major luxury residential development at Spruce Peak in the past six years. With only one residence remaining, The Treehouse is fast approaching a sell-out as buyers look to own an incredible piece of alpine real estate within Spruce Peak's luxury slopeside community. The Treehouse exemplifies contemporary mountain living – each of the 48 residences has been designed with thoughtful details such as floor-to-ceiling windows, oak floors, local quarry granite countertops, Nordic-inspired furniture, and Vermont artwork, allowing generations to come together to enjoy mountain adventures. 

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) has awarded over $540,000 in grants to maple producers and processors through the Maple Agriculture Development Grants program. Eleven producers, ranging in size from 500 to 30,000 taps, received funds for operational efficiency, food safety, and climate resilience improvement projects. The award represented the largest ever state investment in maple producers.  Acting on the recommendation of Governor Scott’s Future of Agriculture Commission, this first-time program will help grow, develop, and sustain maple, produce, and meat businesses throughout the state.  

Vermont Business Magazine The University of Vermont (UVM) Grossman School of Business (Grossman School) hosted the final presentations of the inaugural Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup yesterday at the Ifshin Hall Keller Room. Out of the three UVM undergraduate teams that presented their business ideas to a panel of judges, Painting With Purpose won the grand prize of $212,500 in cash, with additional in-kind services from local organizations included to ensure their successful business launch and support the Vermont entrepreneurial community. This is the first time a competition has awarded cash prizes of this magnitude to college students in Vermont. The Joy and Jerry Meyers Cup is one of two new entrepreneurial competitions launched by UVM, also including the Vermont Pitch Challenge for high school students, which recently named its first winner in the program’s history.

Vermont Business Magazine This week marked a crucial milestone for Vermont’s public education system as the House passed the annual yield bill, H.887, which aims to provide relief to property taxpayers and sets a clear path forward for education finance and taxation. It passed out of the House Wednesday on a vote of 101- 39, which, as is, would be sufficient to override a gubernatorial veto if it were to come to that. Governor Phil Scott has frequently made the point that Vermonters are already overtaxed, and this plan would raise property taxes by an average of nearly 15%. The bill is now in the Senate Finance Committee for review. JFO estimates that these yields and rates will correspond with an average increase of approximately 14.97% for homestead property tax bills and income education tax bills, and an average increase of 17.99% for nonhomestead property tax bills. 

Vermont Business Magazine iSun Inc. (NASDAQ: ISUN) announced Thursday afternoon that its Board of Directors has approved the rescission of the previously announced reverse stock split that was planned for today, April 26 and announced on Wednesday, April 24. The decision to rescind the reverse stock split was made after careful consideration and analysis of market conditions, and the Williston-based company’s financial performance outlook, iSun said in a statement. The Board of Directors believes that this action is in the best interest of the company and its shareholders. iSun also recently re-installed Jeff Peck as CEO and hired a restructuring expert as CFO. As a result of the rescission, the reverse stock split that was previously approved will not be implemented, and the company’s outstanding shares will remain unaffected by the split.

Vermont Business Magazine Cannatrol, the North Springfield-based creators of the only total dry, cure and store system for the cannabis industry, announced today the approval of two European patents for its Vaportrol Technology, protecting the proprietary technology throughout the European Union. Cannatrol’s patented postharvest technology is proven to increase yields and curing efficiency, and delivers on average 16% higher terpene retention when compared to traditional drying and curing methods, according to independent testing by The Cannabis Research Coalition. Throughout drying, curing and storage, the environment will stay consistent and repeatable no matter the season, climate or geographic location.