VERMONT ECLIPSES 700 LICENSE MARK FOR CAPTIVES
Brisk Pace Continues for 2004
MONTPELIER - Helmerich & Payne Corporation has established Vermont's 700th
captive insurance company, according to the Vermont Department of Banking,
Insurance and Health Care Administration (BISHCA).
"The key factor in our selection of a captive domicile was the dedication
the state had to the success of its captive industry," said Hans
Helmerich, President, Helmerich & Payne, Inc., and White Eagle Assurance

Governor Douglas Announces New Rx Drug Pool for Vermont
Montpelier -- Governor Jim Douglas has announced he will propose a
program to help Vermont's employers' pool their purchasing power to
negotiate lower prescription drug prices for their employees.
"This new pooling program will allow participating employers to afford
prescription drug benefits for their employees by taking advantage of bulk
purchasing discounts," the Governor said.
Governor Douglas said this effort is modeled on the multi-state purchasing

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Presents Annual Leadership Award to Vermont Lt.
Governor
(BOSTON, MA) - U.S. Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci introduced Vermont
Lt. Governor Brian Dubie to a full house of 85 New England and Canadian
business leaders Friday morning (9/17)at the New England-Canada Business
Council's (www.necbc.org) annual Leadership Award breakfast at
the Fairmont Copley Plaza.
Dubie addressed the group about his experiences over the past 20 months

IBM Vermont plant in deal with Kodak
IBM and Kodak have announced a multi-year agreement under which the two
conpanies will jointly develop and produce image sensor chips for consumer
products such as digital cameras and cell phones. Engineers at the IBM
Vermont facility will work with Kodak to develop a manufacturing process
to help Kodak deliver image sensors for consumer products that offer
higher performance, improved image quality and more features than devices
currently available. IBM will manufacture these image chips for Kodak at

Northern Power Systems, a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp., will mark the 30th anniversary of its founding at a noontime event September 17 at the companys new headquarters in Waitsfield, Vermont. The event will also feature the formal opening and dedication of the new facility in the Mad River Park industrial complex.
Northern president Clint Jito Coleman will host the event, which will also include the participation of Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy and Bill McKibben, noted author of Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age, The End of Nature and other works.