Small but Mighty
If you’re feeling uncertain this month, you’re not alone. We are hearing from employers all over Chittenden County that market volatility and federal funding changes are contributing to an overall sense of unpredictability – Actions that are taken at the federal level do have a substantial impact on Vermont.
However, these circumstances have also prompted many Vermonters to consider what we can do as a state to continue growing our economy. GBIC in particular is actively working with partners around the state to design and leverage state-level tools.
One solution that is moving in the right direction is project-based Tax Increment Financing (TIF), a program that incentivizes infrastructure development which is making its way through the legislature this spring. Project-based TIF would make individual infrastructure projects, say a wastewater upgrade or road improvement, more affordable. This matters because this is the same infrastructure that supports housing for our workforce and industrial projects for our employers – And making that infrastructure less expensive makes that economic activity more feasible.
Speaking of housing, please take a moment to read about how the lack of workforce housing is impacting one Chittenden County employer. Lisa Groeneveld, co-owner of OnLogic, says “if we have housing, we have people. And if we have people, we finance the other things we need like affordable childcare, public schools, and more affordable health insurance. We have to welcome people in.”
The point is, Vermonters have tools at our disposal, and those tools are effective – Should we choose to use them. If we make the right choices, we can prove the old adage: We are small but mighty.
We’ll continue to be at the statehouse this spring on behalf of Vermont employers encouraging our lawmakers to adopt positive economic development tools like project-based TIF. Have thoughts? Please let us know.
Regards,
Frank Cioffi
President
Have you seen our new website? – We’ve revamped the GBIC website to make it easier for you to find the information you need. You’ll find economic development and workforce resources, employer profiles, back issues of 60 Main Monthly, and more. Big thanks to Scout Digital! Take a look and let us know what you think.
Reminder: Spring Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) Applications Due 4/18 – Attention non-profits, for-profits, and Chittenden County municipalities! Do you have a project that will support economic growth? The RPP list expresses the highest priority projects for each region that will support job growth and economic development. Applications are due by Friday, April 18th. For more information, please visit our website or contact Sam (sam@vermont.org).
Save the Date: GBIC’s Annual Meeting is June 25th, 2025 – Details to come … We look forward to seeing you and celebrating the greater Burlington area’s employers!
Green Mountain Work and Learn Program – Green Mountain Work and Learn is a curated gap-year program that coordinates a paid opportunity for recent high school graduates to work with participating Vermont companies. Student applications are due May 16th. Learn more.Vermont Tariff Resources & Task Force – The Agency of Commerce & Community Development has compiled key resources to help Vermont businesses understand and respond to evolving tariff-related challenges on the federal level, evaluate the potential impact on Vermonters, and focus on solutions. Read more.
Workforce Hiring Opportunity – The Vermont Afghan Alliance is helping place recently-immigrated Afghan refugees in jobs throughout the state. Read more about the Afghan Employment Program and reach out to Yassin Hashimi (yassin@vtafghanalliance.org) if your business is interested in participating.
Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program – The Community Heart & Soul Seed Grant Program is uniquely designed for small cities and towns (population 2,500-30,000). Successful applicants will receive $10,000 grants to match funding from a participating municipality or a partnering organization. Awards are made on a rolling basis. Apply here.
Vermont State Infrastructure Bank (SIB) – The SIB program, operated by the VT Economic Development Authority in conjunction with the VT Agency of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration, is available to assist in the construction or reconstruction of highways, roads & bridges, and certain facilities related to rail transit. Also, in certain cases, electric vehicle charging stations and natural gas refueling stations available for public use are eligible for SIB financing. Learn more.
VT Law School Business Webinar – VT Law School is hosting a webinar on April 17th, 11:00am-1:00pmabout legal requirements for separating business and personal finances. Register here.
Invention 2 Venture (I2V) Conference – UVM Innovations’ Invention 2 Venture (I2V) Conference on April 24th, 1:00pm-4:30pm will pull together dynamic experts, academic researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from across Vermont and New England to talk about how to protect, develop and finance your ideas. Learn more.
VBSR Annual Conference – Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility will be hosting their 35th annual conference on May 8th at Hula in Burlington. Learn more.
VEOC Conference – The Vermont Employee Ownership Center will be hosting their 23rd annual conference on the topic of becoming and thriving as an employee-owned company on May 30th at the DoubleTree in Burlington. Learn more.
RISE Summit 2025 – How can research and community-university partnerships be used to solve pressing rural challenges? How do we make research work for communities? On June 17th, representatives from UVM, other universities, community organizations, municipalities and regions, businesses, and government will come together to consider how collaborative research can provide critical tools to solve problems in their rural places. Register here.
