Current News

Vermont Business Magazine GMP is tracking multiple forecasts to prepare for possible very high winds gusting up to 65 MPH across Vermont starting Thursday night and lasting through the day on Friday. Winds of that speed are very dangerous and can tear down trees and lines, causing outages. This is a very large regional storm that has all of the Midwest and Northeast expecting weather that could cause disruptions. To assist our customers and to support internal GMP lineworkers, GMP has kept external crews in the state that were here helping to restore power during the Nor’easter last week that brought damaging heavy wet snow and outages to Vermont.

Vermont Business Magazine Today, the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) announced the issuance of the final Pretreatment Discharge permit by Watershed Management Division to Casella Waste for the continued authorization of the New England Waste Services of Vermont (NEWSVT) landfill in Coventry to discharge (collect and transport) leachate to the Montpelier Wastewater Treatment Plant. Leachate is generated from the decomposition of waste and precipitation coming into contact with the landfilled material. The water leaches out chemicals from the waste, including Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS).

Vermont Business Magazine Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and Senator-elect Peter Welch (D-Vermont) are praising the recommendation issued Monday by the President’s Pay Agent to include Windsor and Orange Counties in Vermont, and Grafton and Sullivan County in New Hampshire, in the Boston area locality pay region. This action is a critical step in bringing federal salaries in Southeastern Vermont into greater parity with other area employers and making it easier for federal employers such as the White River Junction VA and the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Lab to recruit and retain talented employees.

Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Chamber of Commerce has announced that former Vermont journalist Eva McKend, now with CNN, and Gus Faucher, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist, PNC Financial Services Group, will be the keynote speakers at the Vermont Economic Conference. The VEC is back in person for 2023 and will provide an essential economic foundation for the year ahead. The conference will take place on January 30, 2023, from 8 AM - 2 PM at the University of Vermont - Dudley H. Davis Center. The event will also feature a presentation of the 2022 Outstanding Business of the Year Award to recipient Hickok & Boardman Insurance Group.

Vermont Business Magazine Teucrium Trading, LLC, the Sponsor of agricultural futures-based ETFs, has announced that the Teucrium AiLA Long-Short Agriculture Strategy ETF began trading on the New York Stock Exchange December 20 under the ticker OAIA. The Fund seeks to track the AiLA-S033 index, a strategy holding both long and short positions in agricultural futures contracts listed on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and the Intercontinental Exchange (ICE). OAIA allows investors to access a sophisticated, long-short strategy through a passively managed, liquid, and tax-efficient fund.

Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today announced he’s appointed 52 individuals to State boards and commissions in November and the first half of December. Boards and commissions serve an important role in state government, giving Vermonters numerous opportunities to serve their state and communities. The governor’s office is currently soliciting applications to fill vacancies and upcoming term expirations. All those interested in serving on a board or commission should visit the Governor’s website at https://governor.vermont.gov/boards_and_commission to apply.

Vermont Department of Economic Development As we approach a new year and a new legislative session, workforce and housing remain our top priorities. That is why I joined Department of Housing and Community Development Commissioner Josh Hanford at the annual Wellspring Forum for business leaders, hosted by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. We discussed initiatives to grow the economy and attract more workers to Vermont and also touched on the recently announced paid family leave plan, for which we are collecting feedback from employers. Please take a moment to complete a brief survey at the link below to help us gauge interest in this program.

by Bill Schubart The Vermont Council on World Affairs (VCWA) is celebrating its 70th Anniversary this month and there is much to celebrate. In the last week of October, as members, we hosted two visitors, Radouane Bousnane from Algiers, Algeria, and Maryem Guaali from Casablanca, Morocco. They came to Burlington to be part of VCWA’s international exploration A Just Transition to a Green Economy.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture Food & Markets As we head into the holiday season and a New Year is on the horizon, The Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets has a number of funding opportunities to support food, farm, and forestry businesses in 2023. We encourage you to keep up to date on deadlines with the Funding Opportunity Calendar. The Community Supported Agriculture Grant, Dairy Processor Innovation Grant, Trade Show Assistance Grants,, and the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program are just some of the great opportunities open in the new year.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine The state’s tax revenues continue to exceed expectations, led by the personal income tax (the most important source) and the corporate tax (which tends to fluctuate. And while the Transportation Fund continues to lag the other funds, especially in fuel receipts, motor vehicle sales were up and the fund overall had a positive month. Secretary of Administration Kristin Clouser has released Vermont’s revenue results for November 2022. For the second month in a row, all three major funds – the General Fund, the Transportation Fund and the Education Fund – ended the month with revenue above target. Year to date, the General Fund and the Education Fund remain ahead of target while the Transportation Fund is slightly behind.