Business

I have heard quite a few numbers thrown around regarding the eventual closing of VY. Will Brattleboro really have 630 homes on the market, and lose an equal number of well-paid residents?

I decided to ask Jeff Lewis of the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation. He, along with Pat Moutlon Powden, Director of Workplace Development, answered questions about what they currently know and don’t know about the impact on Brattleboro.

They said that the data that BDCC and SeVEDS has thus far is somewhat limited.

Working professionals, jobseekers, and students are encouraged to stop by the Quality Inn in Brattleboro, Sept. 26, to learn about the variety of careers that Southeastern Vermont businesses have to offer. Twenty five employers, along with several colleges, technical schools, and employment services agencies, will be staffing informational tables from 2 to 6 p.m. as part of Windham County’s first ever Career Expo.

The Expo will showcase several of the county’s largest employers in health care, hospitality, manufacturing, wholesale trade, food production, and energy, among other industry sectors. A complete list of exhibitors is available at www.vermontcareerexpo.com/exhibitors.

from:
Jenna Pugliese, Chair of Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS)
Stephan Morse, Chair of SeVEDS Post Vermont Yankee Task Force
John Meyer, President of Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation

We are deeply concerned about the loss of over 650 highly paid jobs and the impacts that will have on the lives of the VY employee families. We are equally concerned about the overall impact to the regional economy and the impact to the many contractors and other businesses that do business with VY.

The announcement that Entergy will close Vermont Yankee in 2014 significantly exacerbates the economic challenges facing Southeastern Vermont. This adds even more urgency to our need to act to implement existing and developing strategies.

Last night Bunti from India Palace told my sister they are closing today. I had no idea! He said they’ll expand the store.

I really like the people there and will miss being able to get Indian food without having to cook it!  

With the closing last month of ReNew Building Materials & Salvage, some may be under the impression that building materials reuse has gone back to the informal economy.  And while this is true for sourcing used materials, it need not be for building deconstruction and salvage services. 

Slowly and quietly deconstruction is alive, in the form of Deconstruction Works, a start-up firm hoping to create a niche as an employee-owned cooperative in the next few years.  While Deconstruction Works is currently a sole proprietorship, as work grows- so will the team. 

Vendor applications are now being accepted for the eighth season of the Winter Farmers’ Market which will again be held at the River Garden in the heart of Brattleboro, VT. Space for new vendors is limited but interested parties are encouraged to submit an application prior to the September 1 deadline.

The Winter Market opens on November 2 for the 2013/2014 season and will be open every Saturday through March 29, 2014 for a total of 22 markets. The regular market hours for the Winter Farmers’ Market will be 10 am to 2 pm with hours extended to 3 pm for the markets between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Growing out of her experience with the Chamber of Commerce and after Wilmington was decimated by Tropical Storm Irene flooding, Laura Sibilia of BDCC helped create what she terms “two separate mechanisms” to address collaboration in the areas of tourism and employee recruitment.

When Atlas Advertising of Denver, CO representatives visit this area July 23-25, they will meet with focus groups comprised of the top five to ten employers in each area within the region. These are the “major stakeholders” identified by the Chambers of Commerce. The visit will begin with a focus on recruitment, meeting in Bellows Falls with major emloyers, in Brattleboro with workforce development, followed by tours of Bennington and Bellows Falls and meeting with the Human Resources group in Manchester.

SALON JACQUE has just been notified by ELLE MAGAZINE that we have once again been chosen as one of AMERICA’s TOP 100 SALONS and the only one in the state of Vermont. This is our 3rd year in receiving this honor and our team is absolutely thrilled.

Congratulations to Jacqueline Bilodeau, Krystie Curtiss, Heather Fish, Ilene ‘Re’ Sheppard, Casey Langstraat, Kelly Darling-Snow and Lorraine Gordon.

Two bits of interesting business news today in Brattleboro.

First, it’s official, the Brooks House team has closed on the deal to finance the renovations and restoration of the historic downtown building. They should be given awards for being able to come up with the complex interconnection of financing ($24 million) that is making it possible. Work should start soon and a groundbreaking is scheduled for July 17.

Second, the rumors some have heard are true. Brown & Roberts has been sold. The Putnam family ends 40 years of family ownership with the sale.

Starting tomorrow, Thursday, June 27th, Brattleboro Cheese rolls out its new and expanded lunch and light dinner menu.  In addition to our great grilled cheese sammiches, we now offer more options, all developed by Chef Joseph Motika.  Come see us before you head to the movies! 

Our new menu is available Tuesday through Thursday from 11:30am-7pm; Friday and Saturday from 11:30am-8pm; and Sunday from 12:30 to 5pm.  Don’t forget!  Breakfast every day (but Monday, when we’re closed) from 7am-11am, Sundays til noon!

Daily Text Message Alerts Help Customers Save Money

BRATTLEBORO – The Brattleboro Food Cooperative announced today the launch of a mobile text messaging alert system that is designed to inform on-the-go shoppers of in-store sales and promotions.

Since May the Co-op has featured a different steeply discounted item everyday under the banner of “Wild Deal of the Day”. Now, consumers will be able to get these notices sent directly to their mobile phone. David Cadran, Shareholder Services Coordinator, said “The process is designed to be as simple as possible, just text the keyword to the phone number provided and you’re signed up.”

Brattleboro Cheese Shop & Café is now serving BREAKFAST! 

Come to 39 Main Street, across from the Latchis Theatre and Hotel, and have a real, homestyle breakfast!  

We now serve breakfast TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, 7am til 11am.

Delicious egg sandwiches and egg platters available to enjoy in the store or take with you.  We feature Vermont’s indigenous cheese — Plymouth Artisan cheese — on our breakfast sandwiches.  It’s similar to Cheddar but is smoother and melts beautifully.  And it was invented by Calvin Coolidge’s father!

The Dim Sum stand will be open throughout the morning and afternoon today at the regular Saturday Brattleboro Farmers Market location on Western Avenue, during and after the Heifers Parade happenings. For further information call (802) 579-9088.

I’ve been following along in the Co-op newsletter as General Manager Alex Gyori explains the ongoing woes at the Brattleboro Food Co-op.  In a discussion that has ranged from construction problems brought on by the bankruptcy of their lead contractor BayButt to the viccissitudes of Malfunction Junction, Gyori has enumerated a substantial list of “challenges” that the Co-op has faced since opening the new store last summer.

BS&L Main Office Will Be Closed for Strolling of the Heifers Parade – Chesterfield Office Will Be Open!

We are upcycling our mission and adding even more value to our community.

ReNew is a big idea with a big building. But with the economy becoming a small idea, so to speak; we are opening our doors to create spaces for other vendors, businesses, artists and nonprofits. We have a number of options and welcome a chance to partner with the rest of you.

“It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.” – Henry David Thoreau

We see possibility and invite you to see it with us.

This Saturday, May 11th, the Brattleboro Farmers’ Market hosts music by Animaterra, Keene’s women’s chorus, from 11 to 1.

Thinking of Mom? Celebrate Mother’s Day with gifts from our local artisans: at the market, you’ll find beautiful pottery, beaded and metal-smithed jewelry, wooden crafts, fabric scarves, soap and body care items, and lots more. Farmers, bakers, and chefs offer treats galore for your Mother’s Day brunch and beyond.

Now is gardening time! There’s no better place to buy seedlings for your garden than from farmers at the market. You’ll find hardy, healthy plants of all kinds to grow bodacious vegetables, herbs, flowers, and perennials.

After having to unexpectedly close for most of the winter, Brattleboro Cheese makes its triumphant return to Main Street!

The “little shop that could” reopened a few weeks ago, directly across the street from its old location.  Now you may find your favorite cheeses at 39 Main Street!

Brattleboro Cheese is the only full-service cheese shop in the area.  This means all of the shop’s fine Vermont, New England and imported cheeses are cut-to-order by friendly, knowledgeable individuals.  None of the cheeses are pre-cut nor are they wrapped in plastic.  This ensures the cheeses are sold at their peak quality, and customers are given the opportunity to try a cheese before they take it home. 

Community Capital of Vermont is a statewide small business and microenterprise lender serving low and moderate income entrepreneurs. Loans range in size from $1,000 to $100,000 and can be used for business start-up or growth and expansion. CCVT specializes in providing loans to business owners who lack the collateral or credit history to qualify for traditional bank loans.

Loan proceeds can be used for working capital, equipment or vehicle, inventory, or to refinance debt.

The Windham Foundation has awarded Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity a $5,000 grant to support its 2nd Annual Vermont Vision for a Multicultural Future Conference. The conference will be held November 7th – 8th, 2013 at the Grand Summit Hotel at the Mount Snow Resort in Dover, Vermont.

The Vermont Vision conference allows leaders from different sectors to generate actionable ideas in a participant-driven process. The conference’s unique format, facilitated by Adrian Segar, engages participants in deciding what is discussed and presented, by whom, when and how.