Vermont Business Magazine Twenty-five Vermont companies were honored Monday night for their success over the last five year during the 2014 5x5x5 Growth Awards. Governor Peter Shumlin presented the awards to the companies who represented five different industry categories. The event is sponsored by KeyBank Vermont and Vermont Business Magazine. KeyBank and VBM started the growth awards in 2003 to create an opportunity to celebrate and recognize the success and contributions that Vermont businesses make to the Vermont economy. Governor Shumlin joined in presenting the awards and Bill Stenger, President and CEO of Jay Peak Resort, was the keynote speaker. Perhaps the biggest winner of the night, however, was Burlington-based COTS, the Committee on Temporary Shelter, which received a donation of $2,000. Rita Markley, executive director, accepted the award for COTS.
“Top things to make Vermont businesses special and successful” was the topic of Stenger’s keynote. SEE VIDEO
Stenger has been President and CEO of Jay Peak since 1985. Stenger is also a partner of Q Burke Resorts and the Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center in East Burke, Vermont.
Stenger is the General Partner in one of the largest EB-5 Regional Center Pilot Programs in the U.S. The EB-5 is a program where immigrants invest $500,000 for Vermont projects and in turn these companies must create at least 10 jobs. If all criteria are met conditional visas are transformed to green cards in two years for investors and their immediate family members. Stenger was instrumental in the creation of the Vermont Regional Center in 1997.
Stenger is widely respected in the Vermont business and educational areas, having chaired numerous commissions and boards at the state and national levels. Stenger was named chairman of the Next Generation Commission by Governor Douglas in 2006, serves on the board of directors of the North Country Hospital, is past Chairman of the Board, Vermont Ski Area Association and still a member of the board, was Chairman of the board of directors of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2002, and was a delegate to the White House Conference on Travel & Tourism. Stenger has served on the Governor’s Economic Advisors Council since 2002. He is currently a Director of the Northeast Kingdom Economic Development Initiative. This is just a short list of Bill Stenger’s community work in the state of Vermont.
Stenger has been honored over the years for his many contributions to the Northeast Kingdom and all of Vermont. In 2011 he was named Citizen of the Year by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce. He is a past winner of the Travel Person of the Year and the National Ski Area Association Sherman Adams Award. This summer the Vermont Council on World Affairs (VCWA) honored Stenger and his team for their work in “Bringing the world to Vermont and Vermont to the world” at their annual dinner.
The awards were based on growth in revenues from 2008 to 2013.
AWARDEES
MANUFACTURERS
#1 Against The Grain Gourmet
22 Browne Court, Brattleboro, VT 05301
(802) 258-3838
www.againstthegraingourmet.com (link is external)
President: Tom and Nancy Cain
Employment: 43
Sales 2013: $7.8M
Five-Year Growth: 888.60%
Against The Grain is a family-owned, wholesale manufacturer of gluten free bread and pizza products located in
Brattleboro. Their products are available in over 5,000 stores across the US. The Company is strongly committed to supporting the local economy, and they source their fresh milk and eggs directly from local family farms. They currently employ 56 full-time employees. They believe in paying livable wages, and provide their employees with full medical benefits, paid holidays, and 14 paid days off. Against The Grain will be opening a factory store in Brattleboro this Fall, and the cookbook Against The Grain: extraordinary gluten-free recipes made from real, all-natural ingredients will be published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, in February, 2015.
#2 Keurig Green Mountain
33 Coffee Lane, Waterbury, VT 05676
(802) 244-5621
www.gmcr.com (link is external)
President: Brian Kelley
Employment: 6,100
Sales 2013: $4,400M
Five-Year Growth: 779.50%
As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages, Keurig Green Mountain is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. The Company has inspired consumer passion for its products by revolutionizing beverage preparation at home and in the workplace. Keurig supports local and global communities by investing in sustainably-grown coffee and by its active involvement in a variety of social and environmental projects. By helping consumers drink for themselves, they believe they can brew a better world.
#3 AllEarth Renewables, Inc.
94 Harvest Lane, Williston, VT 05495
(802) 872-9600
www.allearthrenewables.com (link is external)
President: David Blittersdorf
Employment: 30
Sales 2013: $6.8M
Five-Year Growth: 750%
AllEarth Renewables specializes in the design and manufacture of grid-connected solar renewable energy systems that lessen dependence on nuclear and fossil fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Company’s goal is to provide turnkey products that harness the power of the sun for homes, businesses and municipalities while creating sustainable, well-paying jobs for Vermonters. AllEarth Renewables is an Inc. 500 company for fastest growing businesses nationwide and has been designated one of the 2013 Best Places to Work in Vermont. The League of American Bicyclists has awarded them a silver-level Bicycle Friendly Business (BFB) award and they are a four-time first place winner of the WayToGoVt Commuter Challenge. Their ground-mounted solar PV AllSun Tracker was named a “2012 Green Product of the Year” by BuildingGreen magazine. Their product, a dual-axis solar tracker that uses innovative GPS and wireless technology to follow the sun throughout the day, produces up to 45 percent more energy than rooftop solar.
#4 North Hartland Tool Corporation
P.O. Box 38, North Hartland, VT 05052
(802) 295-3196
www.nhtool.com (link is external)
President: John M. Mullen
Employment: 64
Sales 2013: $29.1M
Five-Year Growth: 627.50%
The company that was to become the North Hartland Tool Corp, started in 1956, and was best known for work done under the name Netam from the 1960s through 1997. That was when John Mullen, who had been working for Netam, decided to buy the firm.
NHTC primarily designs and manufactures precision fixtures and gages used in the manufacture of turbine engine components, in both the aerospace and power generation markets. Customers include major OEM manufacturers – the General Electric plant in Rutland that makes aircraft parts would be one example – and working for those companies’ suppliers as well.
NHTC’s special niche is tight tolerance tooling. They routinely manufacture tooling with tolerances of +/- 0.0001”.
In addition to their design and manufacturing capabilities, NHTC also provides engineering services, procurement, and supply chain management.
Manufacturing is done at the 12,000-square-foot North Hartland manufacturing facility in North Hartland Vermont. Administrative and engineering offices are located in Connecticut and Maine as well as in the Vermont facility. Employment has increased to about 80. Many of our employees have gone through our own 8,000-hour apprenticeship program, which is recognized by the state of Vermont. www.nhtool.com (link is external)
#5 Vermont Smoke & Cure
P.O. Box 567, Hinesburg, VT 05461
(802) 482-4666
www.vtsmokeandcure.com (link is external)
President: Chris Bailey
Employment: 31
Sales 2013: $6.3M
Five-Year Growth: 350%
Vermont Smoke and Cure crafts meats in small batches according to recipes grown from their Vermont history and refined during more than 50 years of curing and smoking. They brine their ham and bacon with Vermont maple syrup before smoking slowly over maple wood and corncobs. RealSticks burst with flavor from real spices and are made from meats raised humanely and without antibiotics and with no preservatives, and have half the fat and 40% less salt than leading snack sticks. For the consumer, the result is always “damn fine” flavor they won’t find anywhere else.
Vermont Smoke and Cure’s mission is to create economic opportunities for Vermont and area farmers (including through our 5 Knives line of 100% VT-grown meats), to help customers change livestock production practices through their purchases, generate “slow but not low” returns for investors and share the company’s successes with employees while becoming an employer of choice.
RETAIL
#1 Green Mountain Power Corporation
163 Acorn Lane, Colchester, VT 05446
(802) 864-5731
www.greenmountainpower.com (link is external)
President: Mary Powell
Employment: 615
Sales 2013: $673N
Five-Year Growth: 169.20%
At GMP they recognize the traditional role of a utility is changing, and they are focused on a new way of doing business to meet the needs of customers with integrated energy services.
GMP wants to accelerate the pace of change in their industry and proactively seek opportunities to offer new alternative and renewable energy products and services. That includes embracing solar net metering, deploying applications for customers to track real time energy use, and starting an energy storage pilot. GMP also recently launched the ehome program. This unique program creates the energy home of the future, through holistic energy solutions that allow homeowners to retrofit their homes with new technology to lower energy costs, increase reliability and improve the home’s efficiency.
GMP’s work is not only about offering the latest products and technology to customers through new partnerships, it’s about changing and improving lives through harnessing available technology and implementing programs that help everyone use less energy and make the world a greener, healthier place.
#2 Hayes Ford Lincoln
P.O. Box 645, Newport, VT 05855
(802) 334-6587
www.hayesford.com (link is external)
President: Mark J. Hayes, III
Employment: 25
Sales 2013: $14.8M
Five-Year Growth: 52.60%
Located in Newport, VT, Hayes Ford Lincoln is the local hometown Ford dealer. Hayes Ford is proud to be one of the premier dealerships in the area. Hayes Ford has a full line of new Ford cars, trucks, and SUVs and is also a certified pre-owned dealer. Hayes Ford is staffed with local people, who can be seen out in their community. When you call Hayes Ford you’ll be greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable staff member. People drive from miles away to do business with Hayes Ford because they make the customer’s experience a good one with their family-friendly atmosphere and pleasant, no-pressure purchase experience. At Hayes Ford they want to earn customer’s business and explain the different options. From their friendly, knowledgeable staff to their certified technicians: you, as the customer, will have peace of mind.
#3 Small Dog Electronics
1673 Main Street, Waitsfield, VT 05673
(802) 496-7171
www.smalldog.com (link is external)
President: Don Mayer
Employment: 53
Sales 2013: $29M
Five-Year Growth: 48%
Small Dog Electronics has nearly 20 years of experience in the Apple industry. They have the latest and greatest Apple stuff, closeout Macs,iPads and iPods, and a diverse selection of accessories and peripherals.
Small Dog has a serious passion for technology and shares it by offering the friendliest, most dependable and complete customer service experience available.
Since Small Dog's humble beginnings in founder Don Mayer's garage, they now are headquartered not far from there in scenic central Vermont — at the heart of the Mad River Valley in Waitsfield, VT.
They are incredibly motivated by their triple bottom line mission, which is built around three tenets: People, Planet and Profit.
In addition to their four retail locations, they are on the web at Smalldog.com, where you'll find over 3,000 products for sale, an extensive list of services and support options, events, info and fun stuff.
#4 Heritage Automotive Group
P.O. Box 1100, Burlington, VT 05402
(802) 865-8100
www.heritagevt.com (link is external)
President: David Machavern
Employment: 300
Sales 2013: $190M
Five-Year Growth: 31.90%
Affectionately known as “The H Team”, Heritage Automotive is Vermont’s largest Toyota and Ford dealer. The Corporation also owns White River Toyota and together they serve Vermont, New Hampshire and upstate New York. Heritage Automotive is a destination dealership due to their large inventory and the dealership’s reputation for extremely competitive pricing.
By developing a “customer first” culture, Heritage hopes to demonstrate that a great customer experience along with a healthy and creative approach to advertising can outdo the schlocky ads and bait-and-switch tactics that have plagued the industry for years. The company’s approach to doing business has also led to high levels of employee morale and satisfaction. This no doubt explains why more than 75 Heritage employees have worked there for over a decade. Prioritizing the needs of employees and customers has been the main reason for Heritage's growth and expansion. Their brand new state of the art service and sales facilities boasts a more sustainable building which can service more clients in a timely manner in a better environment. To learn more visit Heritagevt.com.
#5 Washington Electric Cooperative, Inc.
P.O. Box 8, East Montpelier, VT 05651
(802) 223-5245
www.washingtonelectric.coop (link is external)
President: Patricia Richards
Employment: 38
Sales 2013: $16M
Five-Year Growth: 17.60%
Founded in 1939, Washington Electric Co-op serves over 10,500 households and businesses in 41 towns in Orange, Washington and Caledonia Counties. WEC is Vermont’s fifth largest utility and the most rural, with only eight meters per mile on their 1,300 mile system. WEC was an early leader in encouraging members to use electricity and other forms of energy efficiently. As a business owned by their customers, it is not the Co-op’s purpose to increase electricity sales, and their modest electric sales growth is reflective of their overwhelmingly residential membership. Although there was a nominal rate increase in recent years, WEC was able to avoid raising retail rates for many years because of significant new revenue from the sale of Renewable Energy Certificates from their landfill gas generating plant in Coventry. This plant which opened in 2005 now generates about two-thirds of the power used by their members.
SERVICE
#1 TPW Management, LLC
P.O. Box 708, 32 Route 30, Bondville, VT 05340
(802) 366-1420
www.tpwmanagement.com (link is external)
President: Paul W. Carroccio
Employment: 107
Sales 2013: $10M
Five-Year Growth: 177.80%
TPW Management was founded in Manchester Vermont in 1987, by New England born father and son Paul T. & Paul W. Carroccio. The company roots were primarily in engineering and consultation on long-range technical planning projects. The team transferred their engineering acumen into focusing on technology driven systems to create a new and better service option for Vermont homeowners. In the past twenty-six years, TPW has grown continually, focusing on Vermont and the larger New England area. As TPW expands its expertise across new territories in Property Services, Community Management, Real Estate and Vacation Rentals, their goal is to offer customers a total solution for all of their home care and management needs. TPW strives to continually advocate and work in tandem with local businesses and events to give their owners and guests the best local experience possible.
#2 Jay Peak Resort
4850 VT Route 242, Jay, VT 05859
(802) 988-2611
www.jaypeakresort.com (link is external)
President: Bill Stenger
Employment: 650
Sales 2013: $39.4M
Five-Year Growth: 162.70%
Jay Peak gets the most snow of anywhere in eastern North America. And yes… the days are as deep as the season is long. But they don’t just rely on the 370+ inches of natural snow Mother Nature brings to guarantee a great time. In 2011, they opened the new Hotel Jay and Pump House—a 60,000-square foot indoor waterpark complete with a retractable roof, multiple slides, and the Double Barrel, a standing-wave ride that lets you “surf” in Vermont. Plus, if you want to catch a show at the end of your day, they regularly book music acts like Bruce Hornsby and Rusted Root into their Foeger Ballroom and Stateside Amphitheater. Add that on top of their Ice Haus, an indoor NHL-sized rink that hosts ice shows and hockey leagues, and you’re guaranteed a great time no matter the weather.
#3 The Essex Resort & Spa
70 Essex Way, Essex, VT 05452
(802) 878-1100
www.vtculinaryresort.com (link is external)
President: Jim Glanville
Employment: 100
Sales 2013: $10.2M
Five-Year Growth: 126.70%
The Essex Resort and Spa's mission is to afford every guest a wide variety of resort experiences complemented by exceptional customer service. Building on their unique standing as a Culinary Resort, they strive to ensure that their passion for food is at the root of everything they do. Founded in 1989, The Essex Resort & Spa is an 18-acre property located just outside of Burlington, Vermont, with 120 inviting rooms, two restaurants, a full-service Spa, Salon & Fitness Center, indoor and outdoor pools, and three public teaching kitchens in Cook Academy. They are also the home of Vermont Tennis Vacations on six Har-Tru courts, the Links at Lang Farm golf course, and Northern Lights Rock & Ice. They are family-friendly and pet-friendly. The Essex Resort & Spa is the only AAA Four-Diamond property in the Burlington area. Once again they were awarded Trip Advisor’s “Certificate of Excellence” for 2014.
The Essex Resort and Spa's mission is to afford every guest a wide variety of resort experiences complemented by exceptional customer service. Building on their unique standing as a Culinary Resort, they strive to ensure that their passion for food is at the root of everything they do. They are also a Recommended Property of Forbes and Startle.com. They sincerely look forward to your visit.
#4 Resource Systems Group, Inc.
55 Railroad Row, White River Junction, VT 05001
(802) 295-4999
www.rsginc.com (link is external)
President: Stephen Lawe
Employment: 120
Sales 2013: $22M
Five-Year Growth: 103.50%
RSG creatively applies state-of-the-art modeling and analytics to transportation planning, market strategy, environmental management, and custom software development, helping organizations make critical decisions with confidence. Since its founding by professors in 1986, the company has provided actionable insights through the skilled application of innovative and customized techniques and tools to serve a broad portfolio of public and private sector clients locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. RSG is a 100% ESOP company headquartered in White River Junction (VT) with additional offices in Burlington (VT), Concord (NH), Arlington (VA), Evansville (IN), Chicago (IL), Salt Lake City (UT), and San Diego (CA). Born from academic rigor and inspired by employee-ownership, RSG brings a passionate commitment to its clients’ projects.
#5 Vermont Energy Investment Corporation
128 Lakeside Avenue, Suite 401, Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 658-6060
www.veic.org (link is external)
President: Scott Johnstone
Employment: 306
Sales 2013: $78M
Five-Year Growth: 101.60%
The Vermont Energy Investment Corporation (VEIC) is dedicated to reducing the economic and environmental costs of energy use through the design and implementation of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and transportation efficiency programs. Founded in 1986, VEIC is nationally and internationally recognized for advancing innovative energy solutions across the United States, Canada, and Europe. VEIC operates three energy efficiency utilities—Efficiency Vermont, Efficiency Smart (serving 49 municipal electric systems across the mid-west) and the District of Columbia Sustainable Energy Utility—plus dozens of other targeted programs throughout the U.S. Headquartered in Burlington, Vermont, VEIC employs 340 professionals across four locations. For more information, visit www.veic.org. (link is external)
TECHNOLOGY
#1 Dealer.com
1 Howard Street, Burlington, VT 05401
(888) 894-8989
www.dealer.com (link is external)
President: Rick Gibbs
Employment: 817
Sales 2013: $230M
Five-Year Growth: 751.90%
Dealer.com serves the automotive industry with software and services surrounding Inventory, Advertising, Website and Customer Relationship Management. The company’s technology and customer support teams enable dealerships to better market their inventory, connect with consumers, and sell more vehicles. Dealer.com practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work. In March 2014, Dealer.com became part of Dealertrack Technologies.
#2 Competitive Computing, Inc.
354 Mountain View Drive, Ste 400, Colchester, VT 05446
(802) 764-1700
www.competitive.com (link is external)
President: Carolyn Edwards
Employment: 80
Sales 2013: $20M
Five-Year Growth: 163.20%
Competitive Computing (C2) is a technology consulting firm specializing in internet business solutions and enterprise technology infrastructure. C2 helps organizations throughout the Northeast establish and sustain competitive advantage through the innovative use of technology. Celebrating their 22nd year in business, C2 has worked with many brand-name businesses as well as educational and government institutions to deliver award-winning solutions while earning premiere status partnerships with leading technology vendors such as Microsoft, Dell, VMware, Sitecore and EMC. Clients include Keurig Green Mountain, Crane & Co., Orvis, the State of Vermont, Saint Michael’s College, National Life and many more. C2 is nationally recognized with extensive experience in eCommerce solutions, custom web-based solutions, managed support services, messaging systems, server and desktop virtualization, cloud computing and networking solutions. Visit their new website at competitive.com to learn more.
#3 ASIC North, Inc.
310 Hurricane Lane, Unit 4, Williston, VT 05495
(802) 863-0001
www.asicnorth.com (link is external)
President: Michael J. Slattery
Employment: 67
Sales 2013: $9.1M
Five-Year Growth: 71.70%
asicNorth was established in 2000 to assist high-tech industry leaders and electronics startups alike to deliver their integrated circuit products to market. In an industry that can be quite volatile at times, it is important to have a design partner that you can depend upon to deliver the skills you need when you need them. asicNorth continues to win new customers and increased market share by constantly innovating and finding new ways to bring value to its customers. This business or its success would not be possible without the people who are asicNorth. asicNorth’s culture emphasizes the value of its employees by placing a strong emphasis on benefits, team building, and wellness. This is evident in asicNorth also being recognized as the 7th Best Place to Work in Vermont for 2014. asicNorth has design centers in Williston, VT, Raleigh, NC, and Tempe, AZ.
#4 ITech US, Inc.
20 Kimball Ave., Suite 303 North, South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 383-1500
www.iTechus.com (link is external)
President: Kishore Khandavalli
Employment: 500
Sales 2013: $62M
Five-Year Growth: 61.50%
Founded in 2001, iTech US is a 1,200-employee software consulting, mobile development, and business process outsourcing company with headquarters in the US and principle locations in Canada and India. Following their core principles of transparency, competency, and quality commitment, iTech provides custom software and data solutions to medium and large enterprises throughout North America.
Their technology expertise includes business intelligence, Microsoft, J2EE, PeopleSoft, and SAP. ITech’s data solutions include data entry, document scanning, OCR/ICR data capture, digital sorting, system integration, workflow management, data transformation, indexing, and data archiving.
iTech is a people company. They invest in their team and take care of them and, in turn, their talented team takes care of their clients. Experience the iTech difference today.
#5 Logic Supply, Inc.
(802) 861-2300
www.logicsupply.com (link is external)
President: Roland Groeneveld
Employment: 52
Sales 2013: $15.1M
Five-Year Growth: 43.80%
Logic Supply is a specialized systems provider serving the embedded and industrial computing market with custom engineered solutions.
With locations in North America, Europe and Asia, Logic Supply provides pre-configured small form factor computer systems, the most compatible components, and unique computer hardware.
Logic Supply offers engineering services and turnkey assembly for OEM customers as well as custom OS development for Windows Embedded Standard and Linux platforms. Their rugged, highly-configurable computers power kiosks and digital signs, control pieces of machinery and medical equipment, and serve as the “hardware core” to the emerging Internet of Things. Logic Supply helps select, design and manufactures the right kind of hardware that will keep customer projects online and operational, for years to come.
Logic Supply does embedded hardware differently. The company manufactures and sells small, rugged computer systems specifically engineered to resist dust, heat and vibration. In addition to its extensive product line of pre-configured computers and components, the company offers custom system development and an end-to-end service program for OEMs. A global IPC company in business for over 10 years, Logic Supply has served more than 50,000 customers with offices in the USA, Europe, and Asia and direct sales and distribution partners in Latin America. Visit the Logic Supply USA website at www.logicsupply.com (link is external) or EU site at www.logicsupply.eu (link is external).
WHOLESALERS
#1 High Mowing Organic Seeds Company
76 Quarry Road, Wolcott, VT 05680
(802) 472-6174
www.highmowingseeds.com (link is external)
President: Thomas Stearns
Employment: 35
Sales 2013: $5M
Five-Year Growth: 233.30%
High Mowing Organic Seeds began in 1996 with 28 varieties and a small group of Slow Money investors. The seeds sold out, so Tom, the owner, began contracting with seed growers, in addition to producing on High Mowing's 5 acres. The thriving independent company now offers 600+ varieties of vegetable, flower, and cover crop seeds. High Mowing is unusual in that it continues to grow seed crops on its 40-acre farm, and offers the only certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified vegetable seeds in the nation.
Since 2012 the company has seen rapid expansion due to unprecedented organic sector growth, with seed sales increasing by 22% from 2012-13 and 26% from 2013-14. Likewise, the High Mowing workforce is growing, with 38 full-time employees in 2012 and over 50 in 2014, a 32% increase. The company has been almost continuously increasing its warehouse and office space, amounting to 40% more space since 2012.
#2 Comfort Colors by Chouinard
P.O. Box 230, Northfield, VT 05663
(802) 485-8600
www.dyehouse.com (link is external)
President: Barry T. Chouinard
Employment: 60
Sales 2013: $63M
Five-Year Growth: 133.30%
Comfort Colors by Chouinard is a garment dyeing facility, distributor of branded fashions and basic apparel for women, men, children and babies. The company operates in two business segments: U.S. Wholesale and Retail. Wholesale consists of the sale of undecorated apparel products to distributors and third party screen printers. Retail is sold online domestically.
Comfort Colors has partners in many countries and has multiple locations in New England totaling over 1 million sq./ft. Their products are not only found under their own brand label, but also under many other famous brands such as Reebok, Harley Davidson, LL Bean and Adidas as well.
Comfort Colors was founded 40 years ago and still owned and operated by Barry T. Chouinard. He is often found in the early mornings matching colors, overseeing controlling quality, or dyeing a load of shirts. Barry is the third generation of his family working in the textile industry; he honors tradition and hard work. His relationships, just like his t-shirts, are cherished and last for years. At Comfort Colors, customers are teammates and staff is family.
#3 Vermont Electric Power Company
366 Pinnacle Ridge Road, Rutland, VT 05701
(802) 770-6381
www.velco.com (link is external)
President: Thomas Dunn
Employment: 147
Sales 2013: $159M
Five-Year Growth: 117.80%
Vermont Electric Power Company, VELCO, was formed in 1956 when local utilities joined together to create the nation’s first statewide, “transmission only” company in order to share access to clean hydro power and maintain the state’s transmission grid. VELCO currently manages:
• 738 miles of transmission line
• 13,000 acres of rights-of-way
• 55 substations, switching stations and terminal facilities
• Equipment that enables interconnected operations with Hydro-Quebec
• Fiber optic communication networks that monitor and control the electric system
In recent years, VELCO has grown rapidly with the completion of major transmission projects to ensure Vermont’s electric reliability. The company’s associates work hard every day to give Vermont’s utilities and their ratepayers a strong unified voice on regional energy issues and to ensure continued access to reliable, climate-friendly power technology. VELCO is committed to utilizing energy efficiency, power generation and system infrastructure to serve as Vermont’s transmission reliability resource.
#4 Instrumart
35 Green Mountain Drive, South Burlington, VT 05403
(802) 863-0085
www.instrumart.com (link is external)
President: Bob Berman
Employment: 52
Sales 2013: $32M
Five-Year Growth: 100%
Instrumart is a leading supplier of Test & Measurement instruments with headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont. Instrumart is a global company with local roots. They are a member of the Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility. The company has been named to Inc. Magazine's list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for six of the past seven years. Vermont Business Magazine has named Instrumart one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont. The staff includes twenty Applications Engineers to help customers choose the right product for their application. Instrumart only sells products that they believe are a good value for their customers.
#5 FoodScience Corporation
20 New England Drive, Suite 10, Essex Junction, VT 05452
(802) 878-5508
www.foodsciencecorp.com (link is external)
CEO: Bob Shipley
Employment: 200
Sales 2013: $50M
Five-Year Growth: 78.60%
For over 40 years, FoodScience® Corporation (FSC) has led the human and animal health industry with extensive nutritional research and innovative product development. FSC specializes in developing high quality nutritional supplements with pure ingredients and balanced formulas designed to meet condition specific health needs. FSC has also pioneered the use of unique and well-researched ingredients in hip and joint supplements, and they hold several patents for the use of their signature ingredient, DMG. They now offer more products that are non-GMO, Dairy free, Soy free, Gluten free, or Vegetarian, and many of their products are available in a delivery system designed for ease of use and optimal absorption by the body.
FSC has been a family-owned business based in Vermont for three generations, and they continue to set new standards of quality in the formulation of nutritional supplements. To learn more about the people of FSC and their products, please visit www.foodsciencecorp.com (link is external).
VERY TOP PHOTO: VBM Publisher John Boutin, Rita Markley from COTS, Governor Shumlin, and KeyBank Market President Don Baker. VBM photo.