Vermont Business Magazine News

by Anne Galloway April 29, 2013 vtdigger.org Home health care workers have been authorized to unionize, and even state’s attorneys have been given the green light for collective bargaining.

by Timothy McQuiston, Vermont Business Magazine A Brattleboro company that sought to grow vegetables, make bio-diesel and raise fish from the power generated by a closed landfill filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy last week. Creditors met on Friday, April 26. The only operating part of the Brattleboro business as of today is the methane, resource-recovery electric facility. Both private and public investors lost money, but to what extent will not be known until the final bankruptcy court ruling in a couple of months.

United Brass Works, Inc., a world class manufacturer of bronze, brass, ductile iron and carbon steel valves for industrial and electrical applications and WEIDMANN Electrical Technology, a global leader in electrical insulation, components, and diagnostics for transformer manufacturers and transformer owner/operators, are pleased to announce the launch of a full line of WEIDMANN branded valves and fittings.

New unemployment claims in Vermont increased again last week, repeating a trend that's lasted since the end of winter, as claims edged higher than for the same time last year. For the week of April 20, 2013, there were 1,211 new, regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance in Vermont. This is an increase of 143 from the previous week's total, and 52 more than they were a year ago.

Green Mountain Power customers across Vermont can now support a pure Vermont form of renewable energy produced by over 10,000 Vermont dairy cows, thanks to a new ruling by the Vermont Public Service Board approving the expansion of the GMP Cow Power Program from the limited territory previously served by CVPS to the entire GMP service territory.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 26, 2013 vtdigger.org Vermont GOP chair Jack Lindley has again renewed his request for Vermont Attorney General Bill Sorrell to appoint a special counsel to investigate whether Sorrell broke campaign finance laws during his primary campaign.

Ledyard Financial Group (Ticker Symbol: LFGP) announced today a regular quarterly dividend of $0.35 per common share. Dividend is payable June 3, 2013 to shareholders of record as of May 10, 2013.

US Senators Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders and Congressman Peter Welch announced Friday that the US Economic Development Administration (EDA) has awarded a $2 million grant to the Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA) to expand its disaster loan fund, and an additional $500,000 grant to the State of Vermont to help regional planning commissions and communities plan for future disasters. 

Norwich University’s President Richard W. Schneider announced today that the University has received the largest gift in its 194-year history. At a dinner for the board of trustees on April 25, 2013, COL (IL) JN Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), President of the Tawani Foundation, committed $25 million in advance of the University’s bicentennial campaign.

by Anne Galloway April 26, 2013 vtdigger.org The Senate Finance Committee has finalized a $10 million tax package.

by Andrew Stein | April 25, 2013 vtdigger.org On Thursday, Vermont Yankee operator Entergy Corp brought a new lawsuit against the state, this time over a critical piece of back-up equipment.

by Anne Galloway April 26, 2013 vtdigger.org Are news carriers employees or independent contractors? Should newspapers in Vermont get a pass on paying unemployment costs for news carriers?

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 25, 2013 vtdigger.org After honoring six Vermont high school seniors vying for a Presidential Scholarship, Gov. Peter Shumlin cited his legislative and political successes on the education front so far. Shumlin made the comments at his weekly press conference. He was more hesitant to discuss items on his agenda that have so far failed to gain traction in the Legislature.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 25, 2013 vtdigger.org The Vermont House voted 78-51 on Thursday to impose union fees on about 2,600 non-union education, state and municipal employees.

by Alicia Freese April 24, 2013 vtdigger.org The House gave preliminary approval to a bill Wednesday that’s designed to curb education spending and relieve some of the burden that school budgets put on the state’s property tax payers. Earlier this session, lawmakers approved a 5-cent increase in the state property tax rate to fund the cumulative $70 million increase in school budgets.

by Andrew Stein April 24, 2013 vtdigger.org Last week, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee sent the Appropriations Committee a memo with its budget recommendations. At the top of its list was a suggestion to fund subsidies to prevent lower income working Vermonters from experiencing sharp hikes in their annual out-of-pocket liability. The hitch?

Representatives Peter Welch (D-Vermont) and Bill Owens (D-NY) are urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to abandon a proposal to study whether fees should be assessed on passengers and pedestrians crossing into the United States at land crossings such as the ones in Vermont and New York.  In a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Welch and Owens urge her to reject the proposal, which was included in the Department’s FY2014 budget request. 

by Andrew Stein April 25, 2013 vtdigger.org What started out as a streamlining of the state’s health insurance rate review process has morphed into a costlier bill with two new appendages and a life of its own.

The TD Charitable Foundation, the charitable giving arm of TD Bank, recently surpassed the milestone of $100 million in donations to non-profit organizations since the foundation’s inception in 2002. 

Governor Peter Shumlin, Agency of Agriculture Secretary Chuck Ross, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder and the Working Lands Enterprise Board will announce the 1st round of grant recipients from the “Enterprise Investment Area” of the Working Lands Enterprise Fund on Thursday May 2

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) reported earnings of $0.90 per share on an as-reported basis and $0.94 per share on an operational basis for first quarter 2013. 

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 24, 2013 vtdigger.org Despite some apparent disagreement recently, the House and Senate jointly crafted a final transportation package for the state by Wednesday afternoon, including increases in the gas and diesel tax.

Darn Tough Vermont, American manufacturer of the only premium, performance socks with an unconditional lifetime guarantee, reports that Q1 2013 sales and profitability were the best ever for the first quarter in its, and parent Cabot Hosiery’s, 35-year history. Year to date Q1 topline growth was up 66% versus the corresponding period in 2012, while January marked the company’s best month ever with revenue up 93% compared to January 2012.

by Andrew Stein April 22, 2013 vtdigger.org Despite local opposition, the Seneca Mountain Wind Project received a preliminary green light to build four temporary meteorological (MET) towers in the Northeast Kingdom. A Public Service Board hearing officer recommended to the board that it provide permits for two MET towers in Brighton and one tower in Newark, where many townspeople oppose the proposal. Newark has gone so far as to adopt new town plan language opposing such projects. The other tower is slated for Ferdinand.

Shelburne Museum has been awarded two grants totaling $55,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts and People’s United Bank. The grants support educational programming and a major new exhibition of art by NC, Andrew and Jamie Wyeth.  

by Anne Galloway April 24, 2013 vtdigger.org At last a magic number has been pulled out of the hat. For weeks, Senator Tim Ashe (D-Chittenden) has been mum about just how much money his committee, Senate Finance, needs to raise. Ashe has maintained all along that he won’t raise more taxes than necessary, and he’s been waiting on Senate Appropriations to tell him what the bottom line number will be.

Vermont State College Chancellor Tim Donovan announced during Lyndon State College’s Regional Business and Education Summit on April 18 that the VSC was committing to a multi-phase program that would create a new workforce education system in the Northeast Kingdom intended to become a model for the rest of the state.  

Vermont's 43rd annual Green Up Day takes place on Saturday May 4. Volunteers across the state will come together in their communities to clean up litter from roadsides and trash in public places.  WHEN:  is Green Up Day?  Always the first Saturday in May, May 4, 2013  WHAT:  is Green Up Day?

Leading hearth and grill manufacturer Vermont Castings Group has announced that, after receiving interest from a number of potential buyers, it has partnered with a financial buyer which has signed a Letter of Intent to purchase the company. Among its many brands, Vermont Castings manufactures the famous Defiant wood stove. It employs about 175 at its plants in Randolph and Bethel.

by Nat Rudarakanchana April 23, 2013 vtdigger.org The Senate Finance Committee voted 5-1-1 to back Governor Peter Shumlin’s push to forgive four tax increment financing (TIF) districts a collective $6 million which they allegedly owe to the state’s Education Fund, according to a series of audits