Vermont Business Magazine News

National Life Insurance Company, a member of National Life Group, recently launched Investor Select, a new variable universal life product. With more riders and new funds, this VUL product offers more flexibility and individual policy customization to meet a wide variety of personal and business insurance needs.

Westminster, VT - In a partnership between two Vermont companies that know a thing or two about electricity, Green Mountain Power (GMP) and groSolar have teamed up to construct one of the state's largest solar power systems.

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB) is assisting the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, Inc. (VAST) with the proposed conversion of a 93-mile former rail corridor to a multi-use trail called the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT).

The National Certification Board for Diabetes Educators (NCBDE) announced that Connie Lanphear, RN achieved Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE®) status by successfully completing the Certification Examination for Diabetes Educators.  Connie is a member of the Outpatient Health Education Department at Central Vermont Medical Center and a resident of Williamstown.  Registered Dieticians Illene Siegel and Sylvia Gaboriault complete the team of certified diabetes educators at CVMC.

The Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performing Arts Center has announced sales results for the 2008 calendar year, and the numbers show that the brewer continues to perform well despite a shaky American economy and the rising prices in production costs.

Vermont Organic Fiber Company (VTOF), the nation's leading manufacturer of fabrics, blankets, and hand knitting yarn made with certified organic wool, has hired veteran outdoor industry entrepreneur Edward ("Ed") Kiniry as CEO December 1, 2008. Kiniry will be responsible for driving the growth of the company's popular O-Wool® brand of products made with wool grown and certified to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's organic standard. Formerly, he was president of Winterquest, LLC, the parent company of Tubbs and Atlas snowshoes, selling the company to K2 Inc. in 2003.

Lt. Governor Brian Dubie is among a group of 24 elected public officials convening for the first time today in Aspen, Colorado as 2008's recipients of The Aspen Institute's Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership. The opening session runs through this weekend. According to the Institute, participants are "selected on their reputation for intellect, thoughtfulness, and a bipartisan approach to governing." The class is evenly divided between Republican and Democratic office-holders who serve in state and local government, and this year represent 22 states.

Founded in 1963, the Vermont Fuel Dealers Association (VFDA) represents more than 100 independent heating fuel dealers in the state, that have first hand experience with the growing need for fuel and heating assistance in our communities.  The Patch Chit/Neighbor-in-Need Program has responded to emergency home fuel situations statewide for over 20 years, and serves as a "safety net" for Vermonters who do not qualify for state sponsored heating assistance programs, but find themselves in dire need.  The Patch Chit Program was created in honor of the late David Patch, t

RANDOLPH - Gifford Medical Center has been awarded an Avon Foundation Breast Care Fund grant for the eighth consecutive year. The only hospital in the state to receive the national award, Gifford has been granted $40,000 for 2009 to increase awareness of the life-saving benefits of early detection of breast cancer.

Fletcher Allen Health Care and CIGNA HealthCare announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will allow individuals served by CIGNA HealthCare to continue to receive services at in-network rates from Fletcher Allen. Both organizations described this as a significant step that will extend their contractual relationship without interruption to patient care. The new contract will run from February 1, 2009 through January 31, 2011, replacing the current contract which would have expired the end of this month.

Executive Vice President Thomas S. Leavitt is pleased to announce that the newest office of Merchants Bank will open on January 20. The branch at 929 Shelburne Road in South Burlington replaces the current branch that has operated at that location since 1974. The newly constructed facility offers full lobby service and three drive-up lanes, including one dedicated to an ATM.

BioTek Instruments, Inc., continues their global expansion in the microplate-based technology market with the establishment of BioTek Instruments Ltd. in the United Kingdom. The new organization will focus on growing BioTek's brand and direct customer base in the UK while supporting the efforts of Thermo Fisher UK related to BioTek's microplate instruments and technologies.

Vermont's three-largest electric utilities have received dozens of new energy sales proposals in response to a comprehensive market request issued late last fall. "We are pleased with the variety, number and range of potential options we have received," Central Vermont Public Service, Green Mountain Power and Vermont Electric Cooperative said in a joint statement. "There are dozens of bids, ranging in duration from a year to two decades, representing a wide range of electricity sources, with a mix of costs and attributes.

Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville today released General Fund revenue results for the month of December, the sixth month of Fiscal Year 2009. General Fund revenues were essentially on target for the month as compared to the consensus revenue target revised the previous month. The General Fund revenues of $99.85 million for the month of December 2008 were +$0.05 million or +0.05% above the $99.80 million consensus revenue forecast for the month.

NEW YORK - January 11, 2009 - Olympic gold medalist Shaun White won the men's superpipe finals and hometown hero and fellow gold medalist Kelly Clark won the women's event Sunday in the second stop of the inaugural Winter Dew Tour at Mount Snow Resort in West Dover, Vermont. White's winning run included a backside rodeo 720, a backside 900, back-to-back 1080's into a 720. He finished with an alley-oop rodeo and scored 96.25.

AT&T Mobility today announced that it will launch iPhone(TM) 3G at company-owned retail stores in Vermont. The launch of iPhone 3G is made possible by AT&T Mobility's December 2008 acquisition of Unicel assets in Vermont. The company has been installing its systems and training employees at its ten legacy Unicel stores across the state to begin offering the full slate of AT&T Mobility products and services -- including the highly anticipated iPhone 3G -- on January 15.

(January 8, 2009) Mr. President, Mr. Speaker, distinguished guests, my fellow Vermonters: One hundred seventy three years ago farmers, businessmen, and lawyers from across Vermont met here for the 1836 session of the General Assembly. Among them, a minister and headmaster of the Orleans County Grammar School took his seat as the member from Brownington.

(Rutland, Vermont, 8 January 2009) The First Tee National School Program and the Vermont Golf Association, Vermont Golf Association Scholarship Fund, Vermont Golf Course Superintendent's Association, Vermont Golf Industry Committee, Vermont Professional Golfers Association, Vermont Senior Golf Association, and the Vermont State Women's Golf Association, have today announced that 37 additional local elementary school physical education programs will participate in the 2009 The First Tee National School Program. The 37 new schools join the 15 schools that entered into the program in 2008.

In an effort to help build business in these uncertain economic times, the Downtown Rutland Partnership has launched a new initiative that will offer Free Rent for a Year in Downtown Rutland to one new or relocating business into downtown. Applicants must represent a NEW business to Downtown Rutland. Relocation of pre-existing downtown businesses does not qualify for the Free Rent for a Year program.

January 7, 2009 - Thank you, and what a wonderful day it is today.  I want to begin by thanking my wife, Melissa.  She is a strong, compassionate, intelligent and beautiful woman and I am lucky to be married to her.  I also want to thank my children, Eli and Mia.  I am very lucky to have such wonderful, intelligent and (mostly) well-behaved kids.  To my family - my father and step-mother, my mother and step-father, my brothers and step-sister - thank you for your continued support.

Week Ending January 3, 2009: There were 1,730 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, a decrease of 878 from the week before.  Altogether 15,600 new and continuing claims were filed, 1,919 more than a week ago and 3,802 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 2,267 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, an increase of 30 from last week.

Peter Freyne never missed a deadline in the 13 years he worked for Seven Days. He delivered his political column, "Inside Track," every Tuesday by 4 p.m. and was never subtle about it. Shortly after emailing his article, Freyne would show up at the office to answer questions, argue, check last-minute facts and, depending on his mood, terrorize our staff. His column was the last thing we squeezed into the paper before sending it to press. So it's ironic - not to mention premature and terribly sad - that Peter Freyne left this Earth early on a Wednesday.

Vermont Public Radio announced today that Robin Turnau, a 20-year veteran at Vermont Public Radio, will become the new President and CEO. She will replace Mark Vogelzang, who will resign on February 1 to assist in a new effort to raise support for public radio stations.

Rep. Peter Welch was named to the influential House Committee on Energy and Commerce Monday night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced.

Booth registration for the 25th Annual Vermont Business and Industry EXPO is now open!  The trade show is scheduled for May 20 & 21, at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, Vermont.   In today's economy, your company cannot afford to hide in the shadows.  Get in front of the business community and use EXPO as your key marketing vehicle for 2009. 

Montpelier, Vt – Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee has announced that long-time agency employee and Director of the Agricultural Resource Management & Environmental Stewardship (ARMES) division has retired from the agency.  

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 300 and Central Vermont Public Service have agreed to a new five-year contract, the longest in company history, following interest-based negotiations. The new contract, affecting 216 unionized employees, was approved this morning and takes effect at midnight tonight, when the existing contract expires.

Week Ending December 27, 2008 There were 2,608 new regular benefit claims for Unemployment Insurance last week, an increase of 1,068 from the week before.  Altogether 13,681 new and continuing claims were filed, 1,297 more than a week ago and 2,958 more than a year earlier. In addition, the Department processed 2,237 claims for benefits under Emergency Unemployment Compensation, 2008, a decrease of 404 from last week.

Merchants Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: MBVT) and its wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Merchants Bank (collectively, "Merchants"), have determined not to participate in the Capital Purchase Program (the "CPP") of the U.S. Treasury's Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). Under the CPP, the U.S. Treasury will make $250 billion of capital available to U.S.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) has extended its agreement with McDonald's USA, LLC to source, roast and package Newman's Own® Organics Blend coffee for more than 600 McDonald's restaurants in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Albany, NY. McDonald's first introduced Newman's Own Organics coffee roasted by Green Mountain Coffee, a segment of GMCR, to its restaurants in New England and Albany, NY in October 2005.