Business Notes | December 2022 - January 2023
Jan. 11, 2023 | By Waterbury RoundaboutThe following are recent highlights in business news in and around Waterbury reported and compiled by Waterbury Roundabout.
~ Lisa Scagliotti, editor
Big move, big scissors
Black Cap Coffee & Bakery makes its debut in Waterbury official at their ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 10. The café at the Waterbury Train Station is the local chain’s fourth location with others in Stowe, Morrisville and Burlington. The bakery produces fresh pastries daily for the Waterbury and Burlington stores. At the ribbon left to right: General Manager Danielle Dolisie, owner Laura Vilalta, baker Ashia Messier, and Assistant General Manager Maria Cabezas. Looking on in back are staffers Anthony Stryffeler, left, and DeAnna Romstad, right. Photo by Gordon Miller
New pizzeria opens on Stowe Street
Adding to their restaurants in Charlotte, Fairfax and Richmond, Stone’s Throw Pizza is up and running on Stowe Street in Waterbury and filling takeout orders.
Located in the former Blue Stone street-level space, Stone’s Throw is asking customers to go around to the back entrance nearest the kitchen to pick up using the alley or Bidwell Lane.
They’re taking orders online or by phone 4-9 p.m., Wednesdays through Sundays. Its website says it will be open for dining in “within the next few months.”
The company is also recruiting to fill various positions at all of its locations. It says it will train new employees: “The only requirement to work with us is a love for pizza.”
Tabbatha Henry closing Stowe Street studio
Tabbatha Henry at her Stowe Street studio and showroom in 2020. File photo by Gordon Miller
Tabbatha Henry’s studio and retail gallery at 10 Stowe Street will close its doors at the end of this week. Sunday, Jan. 15, will be the final sale day, Henry said this week.
Henry wrote in a November blog post on her website and to followers in her newsletter about her decision to move away from mass-producing her trademark lanterns, luminaries and other ceramic lighting pieces: “I know this may seem like a sudden, drastic action, but it's been brewing for a while, and I'm really quite excited about it.”
Henry describes how after being in business for roughly 18 years, she has decided over the past year or so that it’s time to take a new direction that involves creating new types of art.
“I started taking online classes and making art at home in the evenings in my still-set-up-Covid-shut-down-pandemic-makeshift studio in my living room. I began to get some energy back and excitement about creating art again. I started to imagine other possibilities for myself, my time, my art,” she explains.
Henry moved to the downtown studio and showroom in mid-2020, early in the COVID-19 pandemic after having been in the former grist mill on upper Stowe Street for years. “But in the past few years I began to feel more like a machine, and less like an artist,” she confesses. “A lot of this has roots in moving just as Covid set in and the lost momentum, and financial and supply chain struggles that have ensued since. They took a heavy toll on both the business and my psyche.”
Henry said ultimately, keeping up the production pace of her successful lighting lines conflicts with her desire to experiment with new ideas, different mediums, etc. “I have so many half-birthed ideas in boxes in cabinets and gathering dust on shelves. It was and is incredibly bittersweet,” she writes.
“I am an artist, a philosopher, a creator, a teacher; curious and in awe of the world. I cannot wait to explore these sides of myself again… I see this not as an ending, but as a beginning,” she said.
Henry thanks her customers and followers and urges them to follow her website and social media. She says she’s begun painting, sculpting and designing home textiles and wallpaper; she’s entertaining teaching and travel opportunities. She also hints that she’s looking into ways to continue to produce and sell her popular votives, lanterns, sconces, etc. online along with new lighting, jewelry and original art. “I'm really excited for this next chapter,” she concludes.
Hours for this week through Sunday are noon to 5 p.m. She says her website, tabbathahenry.com, will carry updates on her new ventures and be a way for customers to connect with her to purchase items once the shop closes.
Henry’s street-level commercial space in the Stimson & Graves building is owned and managed by Downstreet Housing & Community Development. Property managers say they are working with a potential new tenant and will make an announcement once a lease is finalized.
Still for sale, Axel’s turns 40 this year
Axel’s Gallery & Frame Shop turns 40 this year and owner Whitney Aldrich is eyeing a celebration late summer/fall. Meanwhile, the business is still for sale as Aldrich searches for the right buyer to carry on the longtime Stowe Street business.
“Axel’s will remain for sale until the right person and offer comes along,” Aldrich said last week.
Aldrich announced last summer that she is looking to sell the combination frame shop and art gallery after running it for a decade. The business was founded in 1983 by its namesake Axel Stohlberg.
Axel’s Gallery and Frame Shop at 5 Stowe St. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
So far, Aldrich said she’s turned down one offer and hopes there will be more interest in the new year. “Business is steady and it is a great opportunity for someone to work for themselves without the fear of starting from scratch. I know I certainly appreciated that when I bought it 10 years ago,” she said. “It just feels less risky.”
Find Aldrich at the shop Wednesdays through Saturdays. More information online at AxelsGallery.com.
McCain Consulting Inc. announces leadership transition
Gunner and George McCain Jr. Courtesy photo
McCain Consulting, Inc. announces its transition to a second generation of leadership. On Jan. 1, George McCain Jr., PE, became president of the company succeeding his father, Gunner McCain, who founded the engineering consulting firm in 1990.
Gunner will remain with the firm for the foreseeable future to ensure a seamless transition and transfer of institutional knowledge, the company said.
George is committed to maintaining the more than 30 years of high-quality work and dedication to our clients which established McCain Consulting, Inc. as a leader in planning and design of rural residential and small commercial projects. The firm will continue to offer land use planning services for all phases of land development with its skilled staff of professionals including a licensed engineer, surveyor, technicians, and permitting specialists.
After previously working part-time as an engineering technician throughout college, George joined the firm full-time in 2014. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Vermont, having received his bachelor’s degree from Clarkson University and master’s degree from the University of Vermont. George was recognized by Vermont’s engineering community by being named Vermont Young Engineer of the Year in 2015. He is actively involved in the Vermont Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers and has served on its board of directors since 2009, including Section President for 2016-2017.
George lives in Waterbury Center with his wife Caitlin, two daughters, and their dog Saoirse.
Revitalizing Waterbury hires marketing associate
Denis Palic is Revitalizing Waterbury's new marketing associate. Courtesy photo
Revitalizing Waterbury announced that it has hired Denis Palic for the position of marketing associate.
A recent graduate of Vermont Technical College, Palic has a degree in Business Management. While at VTC, he had three internships with Darn Tough Vermont including most recently, in the company’s marketing department. While at Darn Tough, Palic facilitated the company’s donation program, handling more than 20 requests each week. A Montpelier resident, Palic has lived in Vermont his entire life.
Palic fills the position previously held by Ariel Mondlak who served as Revitalizing Waterbury’s marketing and communications manager for the past two and half years.
Karen Nevin, executive director, said Palic stood out in the applicant pool “for his energy, enthusiasm and attention to detail. As a local Vermonter, Denis also understands the importance of connecting Waterbury’s wonderful resources with the community and visitors alike,” she said. “We are truly lucky to have him on board.”
Mad River Valley realtor named top Washington County agent
Erik Reisner of Mad River Valley Real Estate. Courtesy photo
For the second consecutive year, realtor Erik Reisner at Mad River Valley Real Estate in Waitsfield was recently named the highest-ranked real estate agent in Washington County for 2022.
The honor is based on total dollar volume of sales for last year, according to the firm’s announcement.
Reisner also logged the highest total number of units sold in 2022 according to the New England Real Estate Network, the office said.
In addition to selling real estate, Reisner for 15 years has volunteered with the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service. He responded to 98 emergency calls in 2022.
The real estate office serves the Mad River Valley and Central Vermont.
Special Cabot cheddar salutes Leahy, supports anti-hunger group
The inaugural Cheddar For Better salutes retiring U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy. Courtesy photo
Cabot Creamery Co-operative recently launched a special campaign called “Cheddar For Better” with its first limited-release cheddar honoring U.S. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy.
The special cheese is available for purchase for $13.99 on the Cabot website and at the Cabot Farmers’ Store in Waterbury Center. Proceeds go to the statewide nonprofit Hunger Free Vermont which the company says aligns with its commitment “to nourish communities, foster cooperative relationships, and steward the land.”
Packaging on the first release says: “Crafted In Honor of Senator Patrick Leahy.” The 82-year-old Democrat ended a 34-year career in the U.S. Senate last week and was the chamber’s longest-serving member.
The Cheddar For Better program will be an ongoing initiative, the company says, with each new product benefitting a different nonprofit organization. The effort comes as Cabot marks 10 years as a certified B Corp, company officials said.
“We believe businesses can be a force for good,” said Dave Lynn, Cabot’s interim chief executive officer. “As a farmer-owned cooperative, feeding people is at the core of what we do and why we exist. It is very fitting that Hunger Free Vermont is the first nonprofit to benefit from our inaugural Cheddar For Better release.”
Leahy acknowledged the effort saying it connected two issues important to him: ending hunger and promoting Vermont’s dairy farmers and products. “Marcelle and I both thank Cabot and Agri-Mark for this honor,” Leahy said, referring to his spouse Marcelle. “As always, we encourage everyone to look for Vermont dairy products. They are the best in the world.”
Lynn called Leahy a champion of rural communities, food justice and agriculture throughout the United States and Vermont. “As we look back on his legacy as a senator and Vermonter, we show our gratitude for his impact on our brave little state by donating to one of his favorite nonprofits, Hunger Free Vermont,” he said.
Anore Horton, executive director of Hunger Free Vermont, acknowledged the connection and support saying, “Food is power. The proceeds raised through the ‘Cheddar for Better’ campaign power our work, so that healthy, local food brings nourishment and joy to all in Vermont.”
Find out more about Hunger Free Vermont online at hungerfreevt.org.
Lawson’s Finest gives Waterbury Ambulance a boost
A two-week fundraising campaign at Lawson’s Finest Liquids in Waitsfield recently paid off with a nearly $10,000 donation to Waterbury Ambulance Service’s Station Creation project.
The nonprofit ambulance service was chosen to be a recipient of the Mad River Valley brewery’s ongoing Sunshine Fund that asks customers to direct donations in lieu of tips at the company’s taproom in Waitsfield to support community charitable organizations.
Each awardee organization is an “on-tap” partner for two weeks, receiving 100% of the donations during their designated time.
Waterbury Ambulance Service is in the midst of a $3 million fundraising campaign to support its plans to build a new station on Rt. 100 in Waterbury Center. The organization was the recipient of the taproom tips for two weeks in November. In mid-December, the company presented Waterbury Ambulance with a check for $9,884.34.
Lawson’s popular Sunshine Fund program runs year-round with nonprofit organizations applying to be the rotating beneficiaries. Given the large number of applicants for the program in 2023, Lawson’s announced in late November its largest Giving Tuesday contribution of $100,000 to a total of 59 Vermont organizations that had applied to the program for 2023 but did not get chosen to be on the taproom beneficiary calendar.
Lawson’s said it made donations of up to $5,000 each to organizations representing a wide range of causes including mental health advocacy, affordable housing, sustainable recreation, community development, animal rights and more.
Co-owner Karen Lawson said the company chose to give “Sip of Support” donations to selected Vermont nonprofits to help them achieve their missions.
The Sunshine Fund is one of Lawson’s six Social Impact Program initiatives.
Among the largest beneficiaries of the Giving Tuesday donations were Circle, Green Mountain United Way, Hannah’s House, Capstone Community Action and Central Vermont Habitat for Humanity. A full list of Giving Tuesday recipients is online here. More information about the Sunshine Fund and past beneficiaries is online here.
Wine, beer shop opens at Camp Meade
Smiling grapes greet customers inside The Local wine and beer shop in Middlesex. Courtesy photo
A new addition to the commercial retail space at Camp Meade on U.S. Route 2 in Middlesex is The Local, a wine and beer shop started by local entrepreneurs.
Located inside the complex across from Red Hen Baking Co., the business is operated by owner Sam Rosenberg in partnership with wine buyer Butch Gage and general manager/buyer Sarah Nagle.
Rosenberg said the staff’s mission is to help customers with their selections and demystify the process of choosing wines and beers.
“We’ve worked hard to create a space where everyone, no matter where they are on their wine and beer journey, can walk out with something they’ll love,” Rosenberg said. “We believe there is no reason that shopping for a bottle of wine should feel complicated or intimidating.”
The business plans to add a tasting room and host events.
More information online at thelocalvt.com.
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