Nov. 19, 2022  |  By Waterbury Roundabout

The following are recent highlights in business news in and around Waterbury reported and compiled by Waterbury Roundabout.

~ Lisa Scagliotti, editor

For a third year, no sock sale

*Darn Tough knitter Conner Premo operates a knitting machine at the Waterbury factory. Photo by Gordon Miller*

It’s that time of year when – think back before the pandemic – the annual sock sale at Cabot Hosiery Mills in Northfield would lure thousands of shoppers to its factory.

But for the third year in a row, the company – now known by its popular Darn Tough brand – is not holding the sale. Held over several days for two weekends, the event required a heavy lift from staff as a steady stream of people moved through the factory over two long weekends timed around the start of deer-hunting season.

Customers came from Central Vermont and beyond to fill bags with work, ski, hiking, and everyday socks mostly marked as factory seconds and sold at deep discounts from their retail price tags.

As in 2020 and 2021, company officials say they aren’t ready to open their doors to the public given the ongoing risk of COVID-19 and other illnesses right before the holidays.

Courtney Laggner, the company’s brand and community market manager, said the absence of the sale does not mean the manufacturer is making fewer socks. “Darn Tough is still here. We’re knitting socks every day in Northfield and Waterbury,” Laggner told WPTZ Channel 5 news.

Skipping the sale has enabled the company to make more sock donations than ever in the past few years. Laggner said Darn Tough has sent socks to locations around the world. “We have sent lots of socks to the Poland/Ukraine border, socks to locations after natural disasters, etc.,” she said in an email to Waterbury Roundabout. “That said, we focus the efforts primarily right here in Vermont – lots of schools, homeless shelters, charity events, etc.”

The company is also committed to its ongoing efforts to support the Vermont Foodbank. “Food insecurity is at an all-time high, so we committed more than ever to giving to the Vermont Foodbank.”

The company designates two “Knit to Give” socks for sale online from which profits are donated to the Foodbank year round. On the Tuesday following Thanksgiving – known as “Giving Tuesday” – the company annually donates all of its sales for that day to the foodbank, she said.

Company officials will decide next year whether the sock sale returns in 2023.

Green Mountain Power gets first NOMAD Traveler

Jay Bellows, chief executive of Nomad Transportable Power Systems and KORE Power president, speaks this summer at an event to unveil the mobile power units inside the production facility in downtown Waterbury. Photo by Gordon Miller

Waterbury-based Nomad Transportable Power Systems announced that it has sold its first mobile energy storage unit to Green Mountain Power this month.

The sale makes NOMAD first-to-market with a utility-scale transportable power unit designed and built in Vermont. NOMAD is a company founded by U.S.-based battery manufacturer KORE Power and located at Pilgrim Park in downtown Waterbury.

The units can store up to 2 MWh of energy that can be moved to locations where needed during times of peak demand or in emergency situations.

The company explains that the units can supply power just like fixed power supply but are unique in their mobility. “NOMAD’s systems bring tremendous value to disaster recovery, on-demand grid support, and off-grid power applications,” NOMAD said in its announcement.

The NOMAD unit is charged using solar power and will be based at the KORE Power facility in Waterbury, according to Green Mountain Power spokeswoman Kristin Carlson. “We will plug it in right in Waterbury -- we wil have our own docking station. That’s its home base,” she said. “And then our plan is to deploy it with large seasonal customers to help lower costs for all customers, plus leverage it during extreme weather to provide power.”

The mobile unit is another way for the utility to provide power from renewable sources, said Mari McClure, president and CEO of Green Mountain Power. “Mobile storage paired with our generation will allow us to power our NOMAD with clean energy and deploy that power wherever it is needed,” she said.

NOMAD Chief Executive Jay Bellows called transportable utility-scale storage a game-changer. “Our team identified a need in the market, and using American innovation and New England ingenuity, we’ve been able to deliver a product that will bring benefits across the nation,” he said.

The company said it is working to produce additional mobile units for Green Mountain Power.

Darn Tough Vermont gets U.S. Labor Department veterans award

*Cabot Hosiery Mills/Darn Tough President & Chief Executive Officer Ric Cabot (left) with Veteran and Chief Technology Officer Jim Decker and the company's award. Courtesy photo*

Just ahead of Veterans Day, U.S. Secretary of Labor Martin J. Walsh recognized Darn Tough Vermont with a 2022 HIRE Vets Medallion Award during an online ceremony.

Darn Tough was the only Vermont company to receive the Gold Award in this program that recognizes employers who successfully recruit, hire, and retain veterans.

The Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act (HIRE Vets Act) Medallion Program highlights employers of various sizes with two tiers of recognition, pla platinum and gold.

Darn Tough is one of 835 companies in 49 states and the District of Columbia recognized for their commitment to hiring veterans and tapping into skills employees acquired through their military service.

Ric Cabot, president and CEO of Darn Tough, said the company is committed to its employees and its community. “Everyone at Darn Tough is dedicated to giving back to the community in every way we can,” Cabot said. “Establishing comprehensive and thoughtful programs and opportunities for veterans is another way to show our support and appreciation.”

Established in 2018, the HIRE Vets Medallion Award program evaluates recipient companies using criteria including veteran hiring and retention percentages, offerings of veteran-specific resources, and leadership and education programs for veteran employees. More information is available about the program at HIREVets.gov.

Revitalizing Waterbury names 2022 Volunteer of the Year

Revitalizing Waterbury Volunteer of the Year is Kathy Murphy, owner of Stowe Street Emporium (center) pictured with RW Economic Development Director Mark Pomilio Jr. and Executive Director Karen Nevin. Courtesy photo

At a recent celebration to salute its volunteers, Revitalizing Waterbury named Stowe Street Emporium owner Kathy Murphy its 2022 Volunteer of the Year.

The organization each year recognizes a volunteer who has been particularly involved and committed over the past year in its ongoing efforts and programs.

Murphy was involved with Waterbury Arts Fest and the group’s recent Retail Market Study; she participates in the group’s Hospitality and Tourism sub-group and is part of the committee working to beautify the Stowe Street alley beside her retail shop. Murphy also had her store participate as the final stop in Revitalizing Waterbury’s interactive scavenger-hunt game, the Waterbury Adventure Challenge this year.

RW Board of Directors President Julie Frailey said the organization relies greatly on volunteers and wants to recognize those who commit time to help lead the economic development group’s many projects.

“Our goal is to engage the community and grow our committees and corps of volunteers. In addition, we want to make sure our volunteers receive the recognition they deserve for the hours, effort and heart given to help us thrive. We say it often – we couldn’t do it without our volunteerism.”

Revitalizing Waterbury counts more than 70 volunteers who contribute approximately 2,000 hours per year participating in the nonprofit’s efforts that include downtown flower-planting, putting on Waterbury ArtsFest, serving on committees for community development, marketing and tourism, and overseeing the Waterbury Train Station which RW owns.

Waterbury women among Vermont Business Magazine’s ‘Rising Stars’

Vermont Business Magazine recently recognized 40 young professionals from around the state with their annual Rising Star Awards including two recipients who began their careers with Revitalizing Waterbury.

Ariel Mondlak and Alyssa Johnson were among those honored at a ceremony earlier this month.

Alyssa Johnson, courtesy photo

Mondlak recently stepped down from her position in marketing and communications at RW that she held since February 2019. She is working at starting her own business and RW is currently recruiting to fill her former position.

Alyssa Johnson spent more than three years with RW from June 2017 through December 2020 as economic development director. She works as a Community Projects Associate at the Vermont Council on Rural Development. Johnson has served on the Waterbury Planning Commission as chair and currently is a member of the Waterbury Select Board.

For the 13th year, honorees are selected for “their commitment to business growth, professional excellence and involvement in their communities,” according to the magazine which featured this year’s class of Rising Stars in its November edition.

VermontBiz Publisher John Boutin said judges chose from more than 100 nominees. “These honorees over the years have stepped up as leaders, not only at their place of employment but also in their communities,” Boutin said.

The group consists of 29 women and 11 men. Seven are from Washington County including Mondlak and Johnson. The average age of the honorees is 33 with a range from 24 to 39, according to the magazine.

Former WDEV host moves to HomeShare Vermont

Former WDEV Radio host Ric Cengeri this fall moved on to take a new position with the nonprofit HomeShare VT based in South Burlington.

Cengeri spent two years at WDEV, most recently hosting the two-hour live weekday morning talk show Vermont Viewpoint. In his new role as Communications and Outreach Specialist, Cengeri will be responsible for providing information about HomeShare Vermont’s programs to the public and the news media as well as coordinating internal communications with participants in the organization’s programs.

HomeShare Vermont for more than 40 years has worked to connect Vermonters interested in sharing housing by providing screening and matching service. The nonprofit is funded by individual donors and the United Way of Northwest Vermont.

Cengeri said he learned about the organization through his work in the news media. “This is an amazing opportunity to be able to tell the story of how it has created so many successful homeshare matches over the past four decades. With the need for housing opportunities currently so acute in Vermont, this is a great time to join this wonderful team,” he said.

HomeShare Executive Director Kirby Dunn said adding Cengeri to the staff comes as the organization is implementing a new strategic plan. “Ric will play an important role in encouraging more Vermonters to homeshare,” she said.

Prior to his time at WDEV, Cengeri was a producer for Vermont Edition at Vermont Public Radio for 11 years and an on-air host at The Point in Montpelier. He’s also worked in advertising and public relations.

WDEV in the past two months has added a variety of hosts to the Vermont Viewpoint morning public affairs talk show. Station Manager Steve Cormier said the lineup will remain going forward with guests hosts rotating including former Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas, commentators Guy Page, Kevin Ellis, Pat McDonald, Brad Ferland and Chris Barbieri along with WDEV staffer Brady Farkas.

State has $3 million in grants to attract people to move to Vermont

The Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development has launched the latest Worker Relocation Incentive Program which will provide grants to defray moving costs for out-of-state people relocating to Vermont.

The program and $3 million in funding were passed by Legislature this year.

“Given our state’s workforce shortage, we need to use every strategy we have to recruit new workers and taxpayers to our state and similar relocation programs have proven successful in the past,” said agency Secretary Lindsay Kurrle. “This program alone won’t solve our demographic challenges, but it is a piece of the puzzle as we continue our work to roll out additional housing and economic development programs.”

The program will provide grants of up to $7,500 to both new workers moving to Vermont to take a Vermont job and remote workers moving here to continue an existing work arrangement.

This new program has expanded to include all occupations across all sectors, according to the agency.

The program also includes a pre-approval process that informs applicants prior to moving if they are eligible to receive a grant once they relocate. It then reserves funding to pay the grant once the applicant moves and submits the required verification documentation.

Having applicants know ahead of a move whether they will qualify for the grant is key to the program, explained Department of Economic Development Commissioner Joan Goldstein.

“We hope that may tip the scales in terms of that individual or family ultimately moving here,” she said.

Since 2018, through programs developed by the Vermont Legislature, the state has awarded $1.78 million in relocation grants to attract 435 new workers and their families to Vermont.

More information is online at ThinkVermont.com.

Business Notes | November 2022