$30K Awarded to BDCC Business Plan Competition Winners

MARCH 16, 2008

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 "Existing Business" category, the top prize of $20,000 was awarded to Linda and Tom Diak, the owners of Grafton Fibers, a Saxtons River company that produces Vermont-crafted needle-art tools and fibers. Founded in 2001, Grafton Fibers will be using the prize money to acquire additional equipment and tooling needed to brand their needles, improve packaging, expand production capabilities, and create new employee positions.

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.


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

  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.


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The two winners and 10 finalists were among 28 original candidates who entered the competition by submitting an executive summary in early January. 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.

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.

© 2007 Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) Site by © Vermont Technology Partners