Current News

Vermont Business Magazine After decades of service to Vermonters, Howard Center’s CEO Bob Bick announces that he will retire in June 2024. A state and national leader, visionary, innovator, and licensed alcohol and drug counselor, Bob Bick has been Chief Executive Officer of Vermont’s largest human service organization since 2015 and in leadership positions with the agency for 30 years. He has held many board and service appointments and consulted at the state and national level. Over his long tenure, he has led with his heart to advance the care and treatment for mental health, substance use, and developmental services. Known for his compassion, client-centered focus, and the business acumen required to lead a $130M organization in a complex healthcare landscape—with 50 programs, 1600 employees, 60 locations, and serving 19,000 people annually—Bick’s contributions to Vermonters and beyond are numerous. 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott and the Vermont Agency of Transportation (AOT) today announced changes to statewide vehicle incentive programs for residents whose personal vehicles have been damaged by flooding, in an effort to provide increased financial support to households affected by this summer’s flood events and to expedite the transition to plug-in electric vehicles (EVs).

Vermont Business Magazine Green Mountain Power (GMP) is alerting customers about a surge in scam calls to customers today. The scammers claim to be from GMP, demand immediate payment over the phone and threaten power shut off if customers don’t pay right away.  GMP urges customers to hang up on these scammers.

Vermont Business Magazine Fluency, the leading innovator of digital advertising management and automation solutions for agencies and large enterprises, today announced that it ranks number 200 on this year’s Inc. 5000 list. As the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies, the Inc. 5000  provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s millions of eligible firms. Fluency earned its place on the list by achieving a 2,747% three-year growth rate, making it the fastest-growing business in Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine This morning, Senator Peter Welch (D-VT) addressed the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s (VCRD) 2023 Vermont Community Leadership Summit in Randolph. The Senator spoke to approximately 500 attendees at the Vermont State University Randolph, including small business leaders, organizers, and local leaders, about the importance of building and supporting a strong community, especially in times of great challenge like during the recent catastrophic flooding. 

Vermont Business Magazine Image Relay, delivering a single source of truth for all digital assets and product information, today announced that Inc. has named the company to the 2023 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. The prestigious ranking provides a data-driven look at the most successful companies within the economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent, entrepreneurial businesses.

Vermont State Police On August 15, 2023, at approximately 1120 hours, the Vermont State Police responded to the Notch for a TT Unit that attempted to pass through and got stuck. The operator was identified as Billy Tolson, 66, of Loraine, Ohio. Tolson advised he ignored all of the signs leading up to the notch as he believed he could make it through. Tolson further advised he was on his way to Franklin Foods in Enosburg. 

Vermont Business Magazine Norwich University announced today that their Exercise Science Program has received national accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). Programmatic accreditation through CAAHEP is specifically intended for Exercise Science or related departments with a professional preparation tract designed for students seeking employment opportunities in the health, fitness, and exercise industry.

Vermont Business Magazine Monday night the Burlington City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling on the Administration to reach agreement with the support staff union “that is in the best interest of the community and respects the worth and dignity of UVMMC’s support staff and leads to greater pay equity, increased salaries and a livable wages with a healthy work life balance, protecting and improving worker safety and patient care, which will help with attracting and retaining quality staff.” 

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced two initiatives to support cleanup efforts in Vermont following this summer’s severe flooding. On Saturday, August 26, Green Up Vermont, with support from the state and other partners, will hold a statewide Clean Up Day, which will operate very similarly to the annual May Green Up Day. Additionally, the state is finalizing a plan to assist those living in mobile homes that were destroyed by flooding to safely deconstruct and remove the condemned structures, at no cost to the flood victim. Support of these efforts is being made possible in part from a $250,000 contribution from Subaru of New England, which has a long history of philanthropic support in Vermont. 

Vermont Business Magazine Just 30 days after President Joe Biden declared a major disaster for the state of Vermont following the July severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides, more than $27.9 million in federal assistance has been provided by FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support the state’s recovery. The state and FEMA have staffed and operated 11 Disaster Recovery Centers in nine counties to provide one-on-one assistance to survivors. A total of 1,372 survivors have visited these centers.  

Vermont Business Magazine Evernorth Rural Ventures and Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation (MHIC) have announced the closing of $11.4 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation for the redevelopment of the iconic “Yellow Barn” in Hardwick. The NMTC funding supports the construction of a new 25,137 square foot food business accelerator building and the adaptive reuse of the vacant, historic 4,762 square foot yellow dairy barn for use as a retail shop, collectively called the Yellow Barn Business Accelerator. The project is an innovative public/private partnership, the culmination of a six-year effort spearheaded by the Town of Hardwick, the Northeast Kingdom Development Corporation, and the Northeast Vermont Development Association.