Business Notes | Early April 2023
April 8, 2023 | By Waterbury RoundaboutThe following are recent highlights in business news in and around Waterbury reported and compiled by Waterbury Roundabout.
~ Lisa Scagliotti, editor
UVM Health Network updates masking, visitation guidelines
Central Vermont Medical Center's orthopedic clinic is in the commercial center on Vermont Route 100 at McNeil Road. Photo by Lisa Scagliotti
Starting Wednesday, April 12, most COVID-era masking requirements and restrictions on hospital visitation and clinic visits will be rolled back by UVM Health Network hospitals and clinics in Vermont, including medical offices in Waterbury.
Hospital officials made that announcement April 6 noting that its hospitals -- University of Vermont Medical Center in Burlington, Central Vermont Medical Center in Berlin, and Porter Medical Center in Middlebury -- will lift masking requirements for patients and employees in public areas, and return to pre-COVID hospital visitation guidelines for most clinical units where visitation restrictions were not in place before the pandemic.
The move will also apply to UVM Health Network clinics in Vermont such as the Central Vermont Medical Center’s family medicine offices on South Main Street and orthopedics and sports medicine offices on McNeil Road in Waterbury, according to a hospital spokesman.
Hospital employees will continue to be required to wear masks while in patient rooms, exam rooms, and while providing direct patient care. The new rules will make masking optional for staff while they are in public areas, and optional for patients and visitors in all areas, unless they have symptoms of respiratory illness, hospital officials said.
Immunocompromised individuals and those with health concerns may request additional accommodations by contacting their care provider or notifying a staff member in the office they are visiting. Free surgical/procedural masks will remain available at all hospital entrances, officials said.
The updated policy will also roll back restrictions on hospital visitation for areas that did not have restrictions before the pandemic. Some high-risk clinical settings such as dialysis clinics and neonatal intensive care units which had restrictions pre-pandemic will continue to follow those steps.
Hospital officials said the decision to roll back many restrictions and requirements in place since 2020 came after consultation with clinical leaders and infection prevention teams and review by a panel of clinicians with expertise in infectious disease, infection prevention, critical and emergency care, pediatrics, microbiology, nursing, respiratory therapy, clinical microbiology, and medical ethics.
“These changes are consistent with current evidence and the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Vermont Department of Health,” said Dr. Jessie Leyse, physician site leader for infectious disease at Central Vermont Medical Center.
Dr. Stephen Leffler, president and chief operating officer of UVM Medical Center called the policy change a positive step for staff, patients and family members. The new guidelines “reflect a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to safeguarding public health while allowing our patients, visitors and staff to safely navigate this new phase of the COVID-19 landscape” while keeping procedures to protect the most vulnerable populations. “I’m excited to see patient and staff smiles when I walk down the hallways again,” he said.
The updated practices do not affect UVM Health Network hospitals in northern New York state.
Secretary of State urges residential contractors to register
Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas. Courtesy photo
Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas urges residential contractors to register with the Vermont Secretary of State’s Office of Professional Regulation to comply with a law passed by the state Legislature in 2022.
The new statute requires that residential contractors working in Vermont who perform $10,000 or more worth of work inclusive of labor and materials must register with the office.
Roofers work on a Winooski Street home. File photo by Gordon Miller
“We have great, hard-working contractors here in Vermont,” Copeland Hanzas said. “Residential contractor registration was put in place by the legislature to protect Vermonters from any bad actors out there.”
The registration also requires that contractors maintain insurance and have a contract with customers.
“OPR already regulates more than 50 professions in the state, so they are well-positioned to oversee the regulation of home contractors,” the secretary said. “Obviously this is good for consumers, but it will also benefit contractors who register and can show potential customers they are in good standing.”
Information on the registry of home contractors is public and will provide information to consumers about whether a contractor is registered and in good standing in the state.
Registration is open. For more information and to register, contractors should visit the Office of Professional Regulation’s Residential Contractor webpage at sos.vermont.gov/residential-contractors.
2023 Best of Business: Vermont Business Magazine salutes more than 100 companies
VermontBiz this week announced its reader-chosen 2023 Best of Business Awards recognizing Vermont companies in more than 100 categories.
Among those on the list are some companies with a familiar local presence such as EdgeWorks Creative (Best Website Developer), SunCommon (Best Renewable Energy Company), Darn Tough (Best Vermont Made Product), Cabot Creamery (Best Vermont Made Food Product), Northfield Savings Bank (Best Bank) and Vermont State Employees Credit Union (Best Central Vermont Credit Union).
In January and February, VermontBiz surveyed its magazine and digital subscribers asking readers for their top choices in more than 100 categories of business types and services. They received more than 81,000 votes, up over 20% from 2022.
This is the eighth year that VermontBiz has conducted the survey for its Best of the Best awards. “The results of the BOB Awards speak to the stand-out businesses in Vermont: the ones that offer the best customer service, that are willing to go above and beyond and to pay attention to detail,” the magazine says in its announcement.
The winners will be honored at a celebration at Hula in Burlington on May 18.
Find the entire list online at vermontbiz.com.
Axel’s gets new view of Stowe Street
It’s official: Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery has a new address and a new view from the opposite side of Stowe Street.
The business’ March closure flew by as owner Whitney Aldrich, staff, and friends (including gallery founder and namesake Axel Stohlberg) packed up, prepped the new space at 10 Stowe Street, moved, set up, and opened on March 29.
The frame shop and gallery is now open for business on the opposite corner of Stowe and Main streets.
The ground-floor storefront in the Stimson and Graves building formerly was an antique shop and ceramic studio most recently, but it also was the original location for Axel’s when Stohlberg opened in 1983.
Having owned and run the business for the past 10 years, Alrdich now is looking for a buyer to take over Axel’s. She said the new location with a five-year lease should help make for a smooth transition to a new owner.
Creators find a brick-and-mortar home at Waterbury Studios
An interior view at Waterbury Studios. Courtesy photo
Waterbury Studios recently held a launch party to introduce its rental studio spaces at 7 Stowe Street.
The project is led by married partners Anna Black, an attorney at Stackpole & French in Stowe, and Joseph Pensak, former director/head curator at New City Galerie in Burlington and former executive director at River Arts in Morrisville.
Pensak says the March 24 event drew more than 50 people to check out the new venture. The studios launched in November after a top-to-bottom renovation of the second-floor space above Axel’s Frame Shop and Gallery which has recently moved across the street.
By December the studios were brimming with activity. The five spaces are intended for working artists, serving as a brick-and-mortar home and collaborative community for creative small businesses.
Studio tenants have 24/7 access to both their individual studio and a shared furnished “salon” used for meetings and gallery space. Hours open to the public vary by artist.
Current artists/tenants are: TR Risk, artist, furniture maker and freestyle creator; Olivia Gatti, photographer; Kelsey Telek, illustrator; and Cadence Shae, a multi-disciplinary artist focused on textiles and encaustic as well as holistic health coaching.
More information is online at waterburystudios.com.
Darn Tough Vermont introduces its ‘Sit Ski Boss’ Trevor Kennison
Pictured at the Northfield Darn Tough mill, sit skier Trevor Kennison joins the sock manufacturer to help develop new snow sock styles. Photo courtesy Darn Tough
Northfield – Darn Tough Vermont recently announced its new partnership with adventure fanatic and professional sit skier, Trevor Kennison, who joins the Vermont-based sock manufacturer’s roster of athletes supporting the development of the brand’s styles.
Kennison will focus on Darn Tough’s “snow” category given his prominence in the ski community. “Trevor will continue pushing the limits both on and off the mountain, alongside Darn Tough, with his fearless mentality and extraordinary athleticism,” the company said in its announcement.
Kennison is a role model athlete breaking barriers since 2014 when he suffered a spinal cord injury while snowboarding in Vail, which left him completely paralyzed from the waist down. Since his injury, he has remained dedicated to skiing, adapting to his circumstances and excelling at new achievements.
An avid surfer and mountain biker, Trevor is an active member of the High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides resources for disabled athletes to help them get back to their outdoor activity of choice from snowboarding and skiing to surfing and mountain biking. The High Fives Foundation inspired Trevor to try sit skiing – enabling him to get back to doing what he loves.
In 2019, Kennison rose to stardom when he took center stage at Jackson Hole’s annual Kings and Queens of Corbet’s competition. He made history again in 2022 by becoming the first sit skier to hit the X Games Big Air jump and was the first person to land a double backflip in the area where he broke his back – Vail Pass. For his accomplishments, he was featured in SKI Magazine in January 2021.
He now will be involved with research and development for new Darn Tough snow ski styles. The company makes its socks in Northfield and Waterbury.
“I am stoked to be a part of a company that has amazing products backed by better values,” Kennison said. “The design and durability of Darn Tough’s socks match my adventurous lifestyle perfectly.”
Courtney Laggner, Brand & Community Marketing Manager at Darn Tough, said Kennison and Darn Tough have a lot in common. “We go hard. We push ourselves all the time. We’re fiercely loyal and we value quality in everything we do,” she said.
Mac & Cheese news: Cabot creates microwavable cups
WAITSFIELD – Following its launch of boxed mac and cheese last year, Cabot Creamery Cooperative has created microwavable mac and cheese sold in four-cup packs.
Made with Cabot cheese, the four 2.05-ounce packages come in three flavors – Seriously Sharp Cheddar, Yellow Cheddar and American Cheese.
The new product is a collaboration between Cabot Creamery Co-operative and The Farmer Companies, a diversified private equity firm headquartered in Burlington with a division called Vermont Cheese Products, Inc., created to develop a line of specially branded consumer snack products under the Cabot brand, held by Agri-Mark.
The Farmer Companies Senior Vice President of Sales Adam Weber said the single-serving products are convenient and portable. “You can microwave one for a fast snack or more than one for a fast, satisfying hot meal,” Weber said.
Cabot spokeswoman Amber Sheridan agreed: “Life can be very hectic so we think consumers will truly enjoy the convenience and time savings of our microwavable cups. They’re easy to make and taste delicious.”
The new 4-packs are distributed through Associated Grocers of New England to retailers located in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island as well as independent grocery retailers in upstate New York and Eastern Pennsylvania.
Agri-Mark names new president and CEO
WAITSFIELD — Agri-Mark Inc. recently promoted David Lynn from interim to permanent President and CEO.
David Lynn has been named President and CEO of Agri-Mark. Courtesy photo
Lynn had been serving as the organization’s interim CEO since September.
In an announcement last month, Chairman of the Board James “Cricket” Jacquier praised Lynn’s leadership. “He has engaged and energized our employees and farmers. He has made significant progress that we are eager to see continue. We are confident in Dave’s vision and strategic direction for our cooperative and our brands,” Jaquier said.
Lynn has been with Agri-Mark for five years having started as senior vice president for operations and moving to senior vice president for top operations in September 2020.
With nearly 28 years of experience in consumer packaged goods and food manufacturing, Lynn previously worked for the Kroger Company for 12 years including three years as Vice President of Operations for its subsidiary, Turkey Hill Dairy. His resume also includes roles with L’Oréal USA, Hillshire Farm and seven years in the U.S. Navy.
Lynn said he’s happy to officially take the reins. “I am committed to keeping our momentum going, to doing what’s right for the cooperative and our farmers, and to seeing Agri-Mark and our brands flourish and grow,” he said.
Agri-Mark, Inc. is a dairy cooperative and certified B-Corp that’s owned by hundreds of farm families throughout New England and upstate New York.
Eating disorder treatment center opens in Burlington
A new resource for eating disorder patients has opened in Burlington offering intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization services.
The Kahm Center for Eating Disorders is founded by mother-son team Annika and Nick Kahm.
Nick Kahm, co-founder of the Kahm Center. Courtesy photo
Annika Kahm, co-founder of the Kahm Center. Courtesy photo
The level of care the center offers will serve individuals for whom one-on-one outpatient care is not sufficient, but residential care may not be necessary. Treatment is individualized within small groups.
The center was reviewed and approved through the Green Mountain Care Board’s Certificate of Need process. “We are thrilled that we can finally help those Vermonters who so desperately need it,” Nick Kahm said. “It’s wonderful that they can get the help they need while still living at home in Vermont with their family and friends.”
Annika Kahm has been treating eating disorders and disordered eating for over 35 years, has co-authored four books, and is a member of the Academy of Eating Disorders, the National Eating Disorder Association, and the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals. In her teens and early twenties, she suffered from eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, and has devoted her life to helping those who suffer as she once did.
Nick Kahm is a former philosophy professor at Saint Michael’s College.
Outpatient care at the center consists of individual therapy, group therapy, meal support, and nutritional counseling that lasts for three hours per day, five days a week. Partial hospitalization includes the same but with increased psychiatric care that lasts for five hours per day, five days a week. Clinicians make use of metabolic testing and body composition analysis in working with patients to closely monitor progress.
More information is online at kahmcenter.com.