Archive for the ‘In the News’ Category

The Roundtable has just announced it will be holding a workshop on EB-5, a unique opportunity for members of the business community to attract foreign investments, on Friday, March 5th, from 7:30 – 11:00am, at the Vermont College of Fine Arts in Montpelier. Cost is $40, which includes breakfast.

Presenters from state government and private industry with EB-5 application and project experience will touch on topics such as: EB-5 Overview, Immigration Law, Securities Law, Developing Analysis for Proposals, with plenty of Q & A.

For more information on EB-5, click  here.

For more event details or to register for this event, click here.

Contact Sherra Bourget with any questions at 865-0410 or sherra@vtroundtable.org

I just returned from spending a week in snowy Minnesota, nursing my college roommate after her stroke. Over coffee each morning we read the headlines…and I found that the similarities go well beyond our respective snow levels. (more…)

Vermont Business Roundtable chair, Bill Stritzler, Managing Director of Smugglers’ Notch Resort, has announced the election of three Vermont CEOs to three-year terms on the Board of Directors. The new directors assumed their roles during the Roundtable’s Annual Membership meeting on January 14, 2010. (more…)

Vermont’s CEOs Willing to Invest in the Future

The chief executives of Vermont’s leading businesses appear optimistic for long-term growth and a gradually improving employment environment.  According to the most recent Vermont Business Roundtable survey, business leaders expect to invest more in both capital expenditures and personnel compared to the last quarter.  While most respondents predict that sales will remain unchanged for the coming quarter, there are businesses that are already experiencing an increase in sales.  Roundtable President, Lisa Ventriss, said “The forecasts gathered this quarter indicate an economy in transition and activity that is trending upward nicely. It complements what we are hearing anecdotally from our members.” (more…)

Tax Foundation’s Ranking of Vermont Highlights Need for Tax Policy Changes, Business Group Says
by Neil Downing

Date: Oct. 2, 2009

The Tax Foundation’s recent ranking of Vermont as having one of the nation’s least business-friendly tax environments underscores the need to change the state’s tax and spending policies, according to the Vermont Business Roundtable. (more…)

Op – Ed by Lisa Ventriss, President of Vermont Business Roundtable

As the debate over Vermont’s energy future moves ahead, it is imperative that the public debate – and the resulting decisions – be based on a full analysis of the most current information available. The recent paper issued by Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) sets out an ambitious vision, but fails that most basic of tests and threatens to create unrealistic expectations and promises. VPIRG would like Vermonters to believe that Vermont Yankee power can be replaced with renewable energy at a lower price, but while this may sound appealing, it is simply not true. (more…)

In case you missed it, here is the WCAX interview with Marselis Parsons and Bill Stritzler, President of Smugglers’ Notch and Chair of Vermont Business Roundtable, on July 13, 2009 regarding VBR’s released 2nd Qtr. 2009 CEO Economic Outlook Survey.

Posted with permission by MT. Mansfield Television, Inc.
Produced by WCAX TV News (www.wcax.com)
All rights reserved by MT. Mansfield Television, Inc.

As we  begin our emergence from the Great Recession and see budget deficits forecast through FY13, the Roundtable’s Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force has been taking a fresh look at these and related issues.  The Task Force, which began meeting earlier this summer and will continue  through November, is chaired by Ken Perine, President of National Bank of Middlebury, and a member of the Roundtable’s Board of Directors. Recommendations will be submitted to the Board for consideration at its November planning retreat. (more…)

The chief executives of Vermont’s leading businesses seem cautious over capital expenditure and employment levels for the summer and fall when compared against expected increases in their sales volumes for that same timeframe. In general, however, the attitude of the business community appears to have stabilized from the last quarter.  The mood was assessed at the end of the second quarter and released today by Vermont Business Roundtable Chair Bill Stritzler and President Lisa Ventriss. (more…)

Mary Powell, President and CEO of Green Mountain Power, and Tommy Harmon, President and CEO of Sonnax Industries, were elected to the Board of Directors by the members at the Roundtable’s summer meeting on June 18th. (more…)