Current News

by Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs for the Vermont Chamber of Commerce Last year at this time, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce shared that “amid a nation more divided than ever, Vermont remains a leader in unity, particularly when it comes to agreeing on the top issues facing our state. If we can agree on the problems, we are confident we can find balanced solutions. Vermonters agree on the ‘what,’ and we look forward to working together to find common ground on the ‘how.’” As we approach the second half of the biennium, this sentiment remains true. Businesses statewide trust the Vermont Chamber to prioritize collaboration and uphold the core values that define our state. Our team meets with legislators and businesses year-round because our work to advance the Vermont economy never stops. 

Vermont Business Magazine Thanks to the hard work of Sugarbush’s snowmaking team and a little cooperation from Mother Nature, Sugarbush Resort is opening a day early this season on Friday, November 17th. The resort will be operating the Gate House Quad from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM providing access to a groomed Pushover, Slowpoke, Lower Pushover, and Sugarbear Road. The first 200 guests to show up will receive a limited-edition Opening Day hat, as well as a free breakfast sandwich. Given the time of year, early season conditions are to be expected. Starting Friday, Sugarbush will begin operating seven days a week for the 2023/24 winter season.

Vermont Business Magazine On Wednesday, November 8th, Norwich University became the first-ever university to sign an Educational Partnership Agreement with U.S. Cyber Command. This agreement coincided with a visit from General Paul Nakasone, Commander, US Cyber Command and Director, National Security Agency (NSA)/Chief, Central Security Service (CSS), who had taken the trip to Northfield to present to Norwich students and tour the university’s facilities. US Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) and Norwich University enter into the Educational Partnership Agreement (EPA) in recognition of the importance of education to the future and economic well-being of the nation, as well as the importance of CYBERCOM to the educational institutions of the United States. 

Vermont Business Magazine Maple Broadband has connected over one hundred customers to high-speed fiber optic internet. Maple Broadband currently offers broadband service across 57 miles of its service area in portions of the towns of Cornwall, Middlebury, Salisbury, Shoreham, Leicester, and Whiting. By the end of 2023, service will be expanded to include the majority of Shoreham, portions of Orwell, and additional portions of Cornwall and Whiting by the end of the year. Maple Broadband’s currently funded 2024 construction plans include bringing service to portions of 7 towns: Vergennes, Ferrisburgh, Monkton, Orwell, Waltham, Monkton, and New Haven.

Vermont Business Magazine iSun, Inc (NASDAQ: ISUN), a leading solar energy and clean mobility infrastructure company with 50 years of experience accelerating the adoption of innovative electrical technologies, today announced financial results for the third quarter of 2023 ended September 30, 2023: Q3 2023 revenues of $27.9 million, a 47% increase from Q3 2022, driven by higher demand in commercial and industrial division and strong execution of company’s strategy; Reaffirms expectations for total revenue of $95-100 million in 2023, a 24-31% increase over 2022; Signs term sheet for non-dilutive $8 term loan.

Vermont Business Magazine Advancing its groundbreaking partnership with University of Vermont’s (UVM) Complex Systems Center, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) announced today a $4.25 million extension of funding for the MassMutual Center of Excellence for Complex Systems and Data Science. This gift will broaden a growing portfolio of world-class research projects focused on improving human wellness through data analytics. The funding, to be provided over the next five years, will allow the MassMutual Center to expand data-centered research projects exploring physical and mental health, algorithmic fairness, and data visualization, as well innovative new projects that dovetail with the Center’s existing strengths in areas such as cyber security and measurement methodologies.

Vermont Business Magazine Exactly one year to the day after they requested voluntary recognition of their union, the workers at the Vermont Historical Society have ratified their first union contract. The Vermont Historical Society joins libraries in Burlington, Essex, Kellogg-Hubbard, Middlebury, Rutland and Springfield as the number of libraries in the state whose workers formed unions through AFSCME Council 93 continues to grow. While raises for the Vermont Historical Society are set by state law to mirror those received by other state employees, there were still a number of issues to be bargained over in achieving a first contract. Top among them were health care affordability and implementing a fair pay grade reclassification system. 

Vermont Business Magazine DoorDash, together with its partners Hello Alice and the Global Entrepreneurship Network (GEN), announced $440,000 in grant funding through the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund in 2023. This initiative provides $10,000 relief grants to restaurants impacted by natural disasters or emergencies not only in the United States but also, for the first time, in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Four Vermont restaurants received grants.

Vermont Business Magazine Hey Jane, the patient-centered, virtual reproductive and sexual health care clinic, announced today the expansion of its services to Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, following launches in Massachusetts and Connecticut in the past year. This launch makes Hey Jane the first virtual clinic to be providing reproductive and sexual health care—including abortion care—in all of New England. Hey Jane provides a wide range of judgment-free reproductive and sexual health care services from the comfort and convenience of your phone, including accessible and safe abortion care, treatment for UTIs, yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, and herpes, as well as birth control and emergency contraception. 

Vermont Business Magazine Parish Hill Creamery from Westminster West, Vermont has been named among the winners at the World Cheese Awards, which was held at the Trondheim Spektrum, Norway, on Friday 27 October. Amidst a field of 4,502 entries, the Parish Hill Creamery secured the following coveted awards in the world’s most distinguished cheese-only competition.

Community National Bank (CNB) Wellness Committee members attended a conference held on October 24, 2023, at the Doubletree in Burlington, VT. The Vermont Department of Health and the Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports held this conference for 112 businesses that have Worksite Wellness Committees. CNB received a Gold Award for the 2023 Governor’s Excellence in Worksite Wellness Award. Each year our committee completes a questionnaire that reports health and wellness resources in place for our organization. Out of 84 health and wellness categories being scored, we offer 70 to our employees. To receive a Gold Award, organizations in our category must score at least 80% on the questionnaire and CNB scored 83%.

The Vermont Growers Association Retailer Working Group, a committee comprised of local industry cannabis retailer leaders, has announced Retailer Principles to serve as a foundation of awareness and understanding of cannabis across the state market, to hold each other accountable to those principles, and to use their position in the market to contribute to and help guide the formation of an economically viable, racially just, and agriculturally accessible world-renowned regulated cannabis market that surpasses the reputation of other cottage industries in Vermont, such as beer and cheese.