BRATTLEBORO, VT — Two Windham County manufacturing businesses using Vermont-based raw materials to create products for sale in the USA and beyond are the grand-prize winners of the third annual Business Plan Competition, offered by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC). The competition came to a grand finale at 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 12, 2008, at the Marlboro College Technology Center, where Vermont Governor Jim Douglas presented the awards to this year's two winners and 10 finalists.

For the "New Business" category, the top prize of $10,000 was awarded to Ed Metcalfe, the owner of Vermont Distillers, a micro-distillery in Marlboro that will be manufacturing and selling premium Vermont-based liquors and liqueurs. His prize money will go toward start-up costs and the initial purchase of equipment.

The five "Existing Business" finalist prizes of $1,000 each were presented to:

1. Big Wally's Adhesives, owned by Rory Brennan and Laurie Klenkel of Brattleboro, to create and manufacture an innovative plaster repair product;


2. Concrete Detail, owned by Richard Holschuh of Brattleboro, to produce custom artisan concrete countertops, sinks, and other architectural surfaces for homes and businesses;


3. Ironwood Brand, owned by Eli Gould of West Brattleboro, to offer construction management and custom wood products manufacturing;


4. Moscode, Inc., owned by George Kaye and Gage Rommel of Brattleboro, to produce high-end audio amplifiers; and


5. True Vector Technologies, owned by Sandy Fitchet and Mark Spivak of Wilmington, to provide high-end data visualization and interactive mapping tools to businesses.

1. AMPress, owned by Archer Mayor of Newfane, to publish his out-of-print mystery novels featuring the fictional Brattleboro Detective Joe Gunther;


2. EcoFuels, owned by Tad Montgomery and Owen Dodge of Brattleboro, to collect waste vegetable oil from local restaurants and sell filtered oil to local homes and businesses as an alternative to petroleum-based heating fuels;


3. The Timber-Frame Shop, owned by Monica MacNeille of Brattleboro, to offer custom timber-framing, timber-framing workshops, and Gothic Revival and Art Noveau-inspired garden structures;


4. Vermont Stone Composite, owned by Tyler Maas and Peter Welch of Brattleboro, to produce custom-built Vermont stone insulated masonry panels, using a patent-pending system; and


5. Windham Country Magazine, owned by Lynn Barrett of Dummerston Center, to publish a quarterly magazine promoting the people and life in Windham County.

Judges this year included: (for the Existing Business category) Cheryl Bedard of Vermont Circuits, Jill Zachery of ROV Technologies, Kevin Meyer of Mary Meyer Toys, and Ed Kuntuu of Brattleboro Savings and Loan; and (for the New Business category) Phil Steckler of Country Business, Marjorie Sayer of SCORE, Debbie Boyle of Chittenden Bank, Dwight Williams of Key Bank, and Ralph Meima of the Marlboro College Graduate Center.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in southeastern Vermont. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information about the Business Plan Competition, visit http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com/ or contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — January 7 was the deadline for entries in Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s 2008 Business Plan Competition, and 28 Windham County entrepreneurs submitted their business plans. Seventeen of the applicants entered in the Existing Business category and 11 in the New Business category.

The pool of business ideas submitted hints at the wide range of talents and interests of the people in Windham County. Enterprises related to art, food, high technology, construction, publishing and health represent just a few of the business plans BDCC received in this, its third annual, competition. Entries came from Brattleboro, Dummerston, Dover, Londonderry, Newfane, Putney, Saxtons River, Whitingham and Wilmington.

Among the existing businesses entering the competition are a Mexican restaurant in West Dover, an art gallery in Brattleboro, a company in Dummerston making natural home insulation, an herbal remedies producer in Bellows Falls and a developer of data visualization technology in Wilmington.

Plans for creating new businesses include a publishing company, a disc jockey service, a micro distillery, a timber framing shop and a recycler of waste vegetable oil for fuel.

A detailed schedule for the competition and a list of its rules can be found on the website http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com, or by a link from the BDCC website, www.brattleborodevelopment.com.

BDCC’s annual Business Plan Competition has become a successful entrepreneurial event. Its purpose is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention and earn financial rewards.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity and improves the quality of life of all the county’s residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. It owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or e-mail bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — Ten community businesspeople have agreed to serve as judges for Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation’s 2008 Business Plan Competition. Six of them have participated in previous years’ competitions.

First-time judges this year are Debbie Boyle, of Chittenden Bank; Jill Zachery, of ROV Technologies; Kevin Meyer, of Mary Meyer Toys; and Ralph Meima, of the Marlboro College MBA program.

The judges will evaluate the preliminary entries and select the finalists in each category, Existing Businesses and Start-up Businesses. Once the finalists are chosen and announced on January 14, 2008, five of the ten judges will be assigned to each category. They will then hear the final presentations and announce the winners on March 12.

The purpose of BDCC’s annual Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention and earn financial rewards. More information, including a detailed schedule and list of rules, may be obtained on the website http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com, or by linking to Entrepreneurial Support.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity and improves the quality of life of all the county’s residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. It owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or e-mail bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, Vt. — At its annual meeting on October 23, 2007, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) announced its 2008 Business Plan Competition. Now in its third year, the competition runs from late October 2007 until winners are announced in mid-March 2008. Each year the competition has drawn more than 40 entries.

Contestants may enter a business plan in one of two categories, Existing Businesses or Start-up Businesses. The top prize in the Existing Business category is $20,000, and the finalists will be awarded $1,000 each. In the Start-up Business category, the winner will be awarded $10,000, with the finalists each receiving $1,000.

Businesses and start-ups entering the competition must be located in Windham County, Vt. Finalists will present their business plans to the panel of judges, who will select the winners and runners-up in each category. This year Gov. Jim Douglas made a special visit to award the prizes and congratulate the winners and finalists.

BDCC’s annual Business Plan Competition has become a successful entrepreneurial event. Its purpose is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention and earn financial rewards.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity and improves the quality of life of all the county’s residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. It owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or e-mail bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) hosted its Annual Meeting of Trustees on October 23, 2007, at the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center. In addition to reports from the president, the executive director, and the treasurer, the meeting featured the election of 11 new members and the election of officers.

Peter Van Oot (Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC) was elected president, Hugh Barber (SVE Associates) was elected vice president, and Tammy Richards (Pieciak & Co., P.C.) was elected Assistant Treasurer. John V. P. Meyer (also of Pieciak & Co.) is Treasurer, and Richard Carroll and Stephen Phillips (both of Kristensen, Cummings, Phillips & Carroll, PC) are Clerk and Assistant Clerk, respectively.

Stephan Morse, president and CEO of the Windham Foundation, was presented with the 2007 BDCC Founders Award. Morse, a longtime resident of Newfane, was lauded as “a politician, businessman, and philanthropist” by Mark Richards of The Richards Group, who introduced him and presented the award.

Morse was elected to the Vermont legislature in 1977, and in 1981 became the youngest-ever Speaker of the House. For the past 24 years he has led the Windham Foundation, a nonprofit development and grant-making organization serving Windham County and Vermont. He also leads the Foundation’s four separate business units, Grafton Village Cheese, The Old Tavern at Grafton, the Retreat Farm and Grafton Village Nursery.

BDCC’s Founders Award is bestowed on community members whose actions have helped to make a positive difference in our area, particularly in its business climate. They are known for creating value-added jobs and for promoting the economic vitality of the region.

The annual meeting’s guest speaker was Kevin Dorn, secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce & Community Development. With a background in legislative politics and business economics, he is responsible for activities ranging from attracting tourists, to fostering business growth and creating jobs for Vermonters, to preserving historic buildings. He spoke about the aging population of Vermont, the need to draw younger workers to the state to help revitalize the economy, and the core need for affordable housing.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity and improves the quality of life for all the county’s residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. It also sponsors an annual Business Plan Competition from late October to mid-March, awarding cash prizes to help encourage local entrepreneurship.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net

BRATTLEBORO, VT —  The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has launched a brand new website at BrattleboroDevelopment.com. Designed to be informative, comprehensive, and easy to navigate, the site is geared for two general audiences: (1) current Vermont residents, workers, and business owners who are looking to create or grow a business in southeastern Vermont and need assistance, guidance, expertise, relationships, and networks; and (2) nonresidents who are looking to relocate an existing business to Vermont or to move to Vermont to create a new business.

The website was developed by Vermont Technology Partners (VTP), which offers Website Development, Technology Consultations, Programming and Database Development, and Website Hosting. VTP's partial client lists includes: the Brattleboro Area Chamber of Commerce, Omega Optical, Retreat Healthcare (web application consultation), Borter's Jewelry, High Five Adventure Learning, the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont, and the Vermont Jazz Center. VTP is located on Main Street in Brattleboro and can be visited online at vttechpartners.com.

Website content and most photographs were provided by freelance marketing consultant Donna McElligott of Brattleboro.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Southeastern Vermont. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. BDCC's services are available to start-up companies, growing companies, and global businesses alike in the region of Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Weston. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator, the Act 250-approved Exit One Industrial Park, and the new Brattleboro Business Park at the former Book Press building. It is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information, please contact BDCC at 802- 257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Book Press Business Park and Incubator owned by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has proven to be a particularly fitting home for an organization that is intent on meeting high standards of efficiency and affordability for local housing.

The Brattleboro chapter of Habitat for Humanity is renting 3,800 square feet in the former Book Press building at a cost substantially subsidized by BDCC, enabling Habitat to afford expansive space for building a modular home in a safe and dry indoor facility before setting the nearly complete house on its foundation.

The indoor facility also provides a safe environment for the many skilled -- and unskilled -- community volunteers who lend a hand to all aspects of building, including installing cabinets, laying down floors, painting, and trimming out the house. This year, Brattleboro Rotary Club members made a concerted effort to offer their volunteer services, "jumping in at a time when we needed people power," says Cay.

Rotarians will be on site on Thursday morning, April 26, to help raise the latest Habitat house at 45 Tudor Lane off Sherwood Circle in Brattleboro. The house will arrive on two trailer-trucks and be lifted off and set on the foundation beginning around 9 a.m. "It is 90 percent complete and just needs to be joined, sealed, tied in to the utility systems, and have the solar panels installed," says Cay.

The home will belong to Greg Frost and his family, who were selected from about 30 applicants to be Habitat's "partner family" for this particular house. The winning partner family must show credit worthiness and be committed to providing 250 hours per adult in the household to help with building the house. "Greg and his family have been enthusiastic and nonstop workers throughout this process," says Cay.

According to Cay, the Brattleboro Chapter of Habitat for Humanity was started in 1987 by Don Hayes and a group of Centre Congregational Church members. This week's house-raising brings the local count to seven houses. Although all of their houses are built to meet the requirements for Energy Star Standards, Habitat's intent is to start building what is known as "net zero energy" housing, or essentially a home that consumes only as much energy as it produces, thanks to new technologies and techniques.

"There aren't 20 homes built better than this one in Vermont," says Cay, speaking of the new Tudor Lane house. "A project like this one highlights how energy-saving technologies can be done for affordable housing," let alone for more expensive housing projects.

In addition to the Rotarians, many Entergy Vermont Yankee employees and other community members volunteered their time to help build the Habitat house. Other key participants in this community-wide effort included Cersosimo, which sold the land for the house at cost to the Vermont Land Trust; the Vermont Land Trust, which provided a 99-year lease for $25 a month to the homeowners; Merchants Bank, which donated funds to Habitat for the solar panels; and TD BankNorth, which donated funds for Habitat to build a workshop in their new space at BDCC's Book Press Business Park.

For more information, contact Andy Cay at 603-363-4888 or cayco@verizon.net or contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — Planning for ownership succession is an extremely important step, but one often avoided by business owners. One approach to such planning -- that of selling some or all of the business to the employees -- can have significant advantages over selling to an outsider.

Succession planning tends to be a concern especially for smaller, family-owned or closely held companies, which makes it of special interest in Vermont where they are so prevalent. According to Don Jamison, the VEOC program director, “In addition to the potential tax advantages to the sellers, a sale to employees helps preserve jobs, protect local communities and strengthen the company.”

There are over 40 employee-owned companies in Vermont, according to the VEOC, including several in the Brattleboro area, such as Chroma Technology and the Trust Company of Vermont. Employee ownership can be structured in many different ways, and is used in a variety of situations, not just in handling business succession.

Topics to be covered include clarifying owners’ goals, an overview of ownership succession options, the pros and cons of different forms of employee ownership, and the key financial and other benefits of this approach. For registration information, contact the VEOC at 802-861-6611 or info@veoc.org.

The VEOC is a nonprofit organization, formed in 2001, dedicated to promoting and fostering employee ownership. Its goals are to broaden capital ownership, deepen employee participation, retain local ownership of businesses and the jobs they support, increase living standards for working families, and stabilize communities. The VEOC works directly with owners interested in selling their business to their employees, employee groups interested in purchasing a business, and entrepreneurs who wish to start a company with broadly-shared ownership.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Southeastern Vermont. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. BDCC's services are available to start-up companies, growing companies, and global businesses alike in the region of Windham County and the towns of Readsboro, Searsburg, and Weston. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator, the Act 250-approved Exit One Industrial Park, and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building. It is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations. BDCC can be reached at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The second annual Business Plan Competition, offered by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC), came to a grand finale at 3 p.m. Monday, March 12, 2007, at the Marlboro College Technology Center. Vermont Governor Jim Douglas made a special appearance to present the awards to this year's finalists, runners-up, and grand prize winners.

For the "Start-Up Business" category, the top prize of $10,000 was awarded to Matthew Murano, the owner and founder of Engineered Stone Designs, a complete manufactured stone business located in Wilmington, Vermont. He will be utilizing innovative and environmentally conscious manufacturing methods to produce the most accurate replication of natural materials with greater strength, aesthetic appeal, and workability for homeowners, businesses, and builders.

The three "Existing Business" runner-up prizes of $2,000 each were presented to: Moscode, Inc., owned by George Kaye and Gage Rommel of Brattleboro, for product development for their high-end audio manufacturing company; Putney Mountain Winery, owned by Kate and Charles Dodge of Putney, for the development of an Internet sales channel for their products; and High Meadows Farm, owned by Howard and Lisa Prussack of Westminster West, for the development of high-tunnel raspberry farming.

The three "Existing Business" finalist prizes of $1,000 each were presented to: Cold Rain Technologies, owned by Robert Bruen of Wilmington, for producing, developing, and marketing KnujOn, a system developed by his son Garth Bruen for shutting down junk e-mail and e-fraud websites; Purple Chef, owned by Sharon Myers of Brattleboro, for production of specialty food products such as artisan chutneys and marmalades; and SRI World Group, owned by Jay Falk of Brattleboro, for the development of a Web-based tool for reporting environmental, social, and corporate governance information to stakeholders.

The three "Start-Up Business" runner-up prizes of $2,000 each were presented to: Advanced Support Systems, owned by Bill Hickok of Brattleboro, to manufacture and sell proprietary design equipment for hunters and fishermen; Mobile Meat Makers, owned by Eliot G. Morse of Putney (not pictured), for a mobile poultry slaughter and processing facility; and Vermont Distillers, owned by Ed Metcalfe of Whitingham, to manufacture and sell Vermont-based liquors and liqueurs.

The two "Start-Up Business" finalist prizes of $1,000 each were presented to: Putney Design, owned by Colin Butler of Putney, to design and manufacture custom entrance gates; and SnapCabin, owned by Joseph Checco of South Londonderry, to manufacture and sell a unique system of housing composed of pre-fab rooms and connectors, delivered by flat bed.

In addition, a special Honorable Mention award of $250 was presented to 17-year-old Tyler Smith, a student at the Windham Regional Career Center, for his Independent Lawn Care business plan.

Judges evaluated each submission based on such criteria as: likelihood of success, potential for job creation, impact on the local economy, leadership quality, and financial clarity. The premise behind the Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention, and earn financial rewards.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information about the Business Plan Competition, visit http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com/ or contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net.

Guest speakers will include Ralph Meima, director of the new MBA Program in Managing for Sustainability at the Marlboro College Graduate Center, and Kristin McLaughlin, chief operating officer and senior vice president at World Learning, Inc., who will talk about new strategies and programs at their schools.

Also speaking will be Chris Grotke and Alex Gyori of the pre-steering committee for a Brattleboro economic vitality project that aims to create a more unified vision of the community’s shared future.

The agenda will also include a report by Lewis on BDCC activities over the past few months and a preview of the next several months' focus, and a discussion by BDCC Vice President Peter Van Oot about the emerging strategic direction for BDCC itself.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information, contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — Forty-three candidates have submitted entries to the 2007 Business Plan Competition being offered for the second year in a row by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC).

Finalists will be selected and announced on January 17, which is two days later than previously announced due to conflicts in the judges' schedules.

The candidates represent a wide range of businesses, including farming, mobile meat processing, food production, custom quilting, art, restaurants, music publishing, dance, education, high-end audio equipment, new products, and more.

The Business Plan Competition expanded this year to include two entry categories -- “Existing Business” (with a top prize of $20,000) and “Start-Up Business” (with a top prize of $10,000). Additional prizes will be awarded to runners-up and finalists. A maximum of six finalists for each category will be selected. Their full business plans will be due on February 22, with final presentations scheduled for March 12. Winners will be announced the same day at 3 p.m.

The premise behind the Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention, and earn financial rewards. More information about the Business Plan Competition can be viewed online at http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com/.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

To contact BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has launched a new website to promote its second annual Business Plan Competition: http://bdccbusinessplancompetition.com/.

The website provides an overview of the competition, as well as information on eligibility, rules, awards, and judging. It also outlines the schedule, how to register, and how to utilize free resources, and highlights last year's top-prize winner and the six runners-up.

The premise behind the Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention, and earn financial rewards.

To enter the competition, candidates must submit an Executive Summary consisting of a two-page business plan and one-page financial summary no later than 4 p.m. January 8, 2007. A maximum of six finalists for each category will be selected by January 15. Final Business Plans will be due on February 22, with final presentations taking place on March 12. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m. that day.

Visit the BDCC's Business Plan Competition website for more information, or contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net.

Also, an information session for interested applicants will be taking place on December 15th at 8:30 a.m. at the Marlboro College Tech Center in Room 2E.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) is launching its second annual Business Plan Competition, which has been expanded this year to include two entry categories and multiple prizes totaling $46,000.

For the “Existing Business” category, the top prize is $20,000, with three runner-up prizes of $2,000 each and two finalist prizes of $1,000 each. For the “Start-Up Business” category, the top prize is $10,000, with three runner-up prizes of $2,000 each and two finalist prizes of $1,000 each.

The premise behind the Business Plan Competition is to help raise awareness in the community about small business and entrepreneurship, and to encourage new business development by helping interested community members develop viable business plans, gain public attention, and earn financial rewards.

Last year's top-prize winner was Nimble Arts Trapeze and Circus School, founded in 2003 by twin sisters Serenity Smith Forchion and Elsie Smith. They teach acrobatics, trapeze, and juggling to adults and children as young as 18 months.

“Winning the competition had an invigorating effect on my sister and me," says Serenity. "We felt spurred into moving forward with many plans and dreams we had for our business, and certainly the influx of cash helped us move ahead with those goals.”

“Another great benefit of the Business Plan Competition," adds Elsie, "was the exposure we got in the community. It has been wonderful to be stopped by various people in the community who know about our work from the publicity derived from the competition. This, we hope, will help us in our next phase of expansion when we move to our downtown location and begin more official collaborations with other local businesses."

The six runners-up in the 2006 competition were: Against the Grain, owned by Tom and Nancy Cain; the Children’s Music Hall of Fame, developed by Bill Shontz; Ironwood Brand, owned by Eli Gould; OK Tools, founded by Fred Bullock and Robert Morris; Solinglass, owned by Randi Solin; and Vermont Woods Studio, owned by Ken and Peggy Farabaugh.

Reflecting back on her participation in the first annual Business Plan Competition, Solin says, “The impact was pretty huge. Because of my proposal, I have been brought into other projects and I am currently in negotiations with the New England Youth Theatre to proceed with my business plan idea of maybe buying a building in town and seeing my business model come to fruition.”

To enter the competition, candidates must submit an Executive Summary consisting of a two-page business plan and one-page financial summary no later than 4 p.m. January 8, 2007. The announcement of a maximum of six finalists for each category will be made on January 15. Final Business Plans (eight copies of each) will be due at BDCC no later than 4 p.m. February 22. Final presentations, lasting up to 12 minutes per finalist, each with an additional 10 minutes for questions, will take place on March 12 at the Marlboro College Technology Center. Winners will be announced at 3 p.m. that day.

To be eligible for the competition, the current or proposed business must be physically located within BDCC's designated region of Windham County and the towns of Readsboro and Searsburg, Vermont; and the proposed start-up or existing business must have an annual revenue of less than $500,000.

Each submission will be reviewed and judged based on such criteria as: likelihood of success, potential for job creation, impact on the local economy, leadership quality, and financial clarity. The judging panel consists of 10 community members, six who are returning from last year and four who are new to the panel this year.

More information about eligibility, rules, registration, judging and other details is available by contacting BDCC. Also, BDCC can provide access to free resources to help in the preparation of the executive summary and business plan through such organizations as the Small Business Development Center and SCORE.

BDCC will be providing two information sessions for interested applicants at 8:30 a.m. November 27 and 4 p.m. November 30, both at the Marlboro College Technology Center.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new Business Park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information, contact BDCC at 802-257-7731 or bdcc@sover.net

BRATTLEBORO, VT — Brattleboro native and family business owner Stephen E. Baker is the recipient of the 2006 Founders Award, presented by the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) at its Annual Meeting of Trustees on October 24, 2006.

Past recipients of the BDCC Founders Award have included George Schneeberger, founder of G.S. Precision; Tony Cersosimo, founder of Cersosimo Lumber; Tony Elliot, founder of Sovernet; Bob Johnson, founder of Omega Optical; and John Kristensen, co-founder of BDCC.

Baker is the head of Bakers, Inc., a three-generation family business originally established in 1925 in Brattleboro as a newspaper, magazine and greeting card shop. It has grown over the decades to include a group of stationery and magazine stores, an office furniture store, an office design company, and a newspaper and magazine distributing company.

An active and supportive community member and volunteer, Baker was involved with the BDCC from 1968 to 1994, serving as president from 1984 to 1986. He has also served on the boards of First Vermont Bank (now TD Bank North) and Retreat Healthcare, and has worked on several Brattleboro Memorial Hospital fundraising campaigns.

According to BDCC Board of Trustees President Debbie Boyle, “Every community has individuals in it who make things happen and who community groups go to when something needs to be done. Steve Baker has not only been a leader at BDCC, looking out for the manufacturing base, but has also been instrumental in helping to establish downtown organizations to keep the downtown a vibrant downtown. His business has been a mainstay in downtown for decades. We thank him for his contributions to BDCC and the Town of Brattleboro."

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net.

BRATTLEBORO, VT — The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC)
hosted its Annual Meeting of Trustees on October 24, 2006, at the Marlboro College Technology Center. In addition to reports from the president, the executive director, and the treasurer, the meeting featured the election of 14 new members and the re-election of officers.

The re-elected officers are: Debbie Boyle (President), Peter Van Oot (Vice President), John V.P. Meyer (Treasurer), Richard Carroll (Clerk), and Stephen Phillips (Assistant Clerk).

Of the more than 57 members and guests who attended the meeting, three notable attendees were Vermont State Commissioner of Economic Development Mike Quinn; guest speaker Michael Kane, managing partner of the economic development consulting firm Mt. Auburn Associates; and Stephen E. Baker, 2006 recipient of the BDCC Founders Award.

Baker is the head of Bakers, Inc., a three-generation family business originally established in 1925 in Brattleboro as a newspaper, magazine and greeting card shop. It has grown over the decades to include a group of stationery and magazine stores, an office furniture store, an office design company, and a newspaper and magazine distributing company. Winners of the BDCC Founders Award are selected for their efforts and actions that have helped to make a difference to our area and to the business climate; they are known for creating value-added jobs and for promoting a climate that enhances the economic vitality of the region.

Kane has been a practitioner and researcher in the community and economic development field for more than 25 years. He specializes in regional economic development planning and sector analysis and organizing, among other areas. In 1992, he joined Mt. Auburn Associates, a consulting firm working with a variety of public and private organizations to create effective economic development policies and programs that promote economic growth and stability, job generation, and the improved functioning of capital markets.

Quinn has been serving as the commissioner of economic development in Vermont since 2003. His background includes working as the senior vice president and development team leader for Banknorth Vermont, and holding vice president positions at the Bank of Vermont, Irving Financial Centers, and Chittenden Bank. His role under the Douglas Administration involves expanding entrepreneurial activity in Vermont through coordination of business incubators, federal grants, and capital investment efforts.

BDCC is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that serves as a catalyst for industrial and commercial growth in Windham County. Its primary objective is to create and retain a flourishing business community that supports vibrant fiscal activity, and improves the quality of life of all its residents. Founded in 1954, BDCC owns and manages the Cotton Mill industrial park/incubator and the new business park at the former Book Press building, among other facilities, and is one of 12 Vermont Regional Development Corporations.

For more information about BDCC, call 802-257-7731 or email bdcc@sover.net.