2003 Archived Meetings
January 23, 2003
Ownership Transition Analysis
A Comprehensive Approach to Exit Strategies
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Russ Robb, Atlantic Management Incorporated
Russ Robb has lectured and written widely on valuation, mergers and acquisitions, ownership transition and corporate finance. In 2001, he was President of Association for Corporate Growth and is editor of M & A Today. Atlantic Management Incorporated is a leading valuation and advisory firm that has been advising New England businesses since 1968.
Growth Company Showcase
Vermont Employee Ownership Center, Patty Wood & Don Jamison
February 20, 2003
Optical Components for a Recovering Telecom Market
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
George Powch, TeraLum, LLC
TeraLum, LLC is an early stage high tech venture focused on specialty optical components for telecommunications networks. Based in Brattleboro, with an R&D center in Palo Alto, California. The Company was founded by John McPherson and Ajaykumar Jain in June 2000 and has since been developing state-of-the-art, enabling technology for next generation optical communications systems, as well as for today’s long haul and metro networks.
George Powch, an investor in TeraLum and its Chairman, presented an overview of today’s telecom market from the perspective of a supplier to the industry. He also described some relevant technology trends and outline how TeraLum, its products and capabilities fit into the overall industry supply matrix
March 27, 2003
The Re-launch of EATINGWELL
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Laura Carlsmith, EatingWell Magazine
EATINGWELL, The Magazine of Food & Health, was first published from 1990 to 1999 as a consumer magazine that combined the subject areas of food and health in a world-class periodical with a North American audience. Based in Charlotte, the operation was acquired and funded by Telemedia Communications (USA) Inc. Paid circulation grew to 650,000 by 1995. Following a series of unexpected senior management changes within the Canadian parent company of Telemedia, the magazine went through personnel, ownership and strategic shifts that eventually led to the cessation of operations in mid-1999. The publisher at the time attributed the decision to weak advertising sales.
Laura Carlsmith, Associate Publisher and Marketing Director, presented a brief overview of EATINGWELL’s re-launch using a simplified business model – without commercial advertising. Laura has 20 years of experience in magazines, books and the Internet. She also serves on the Vermont Life Advisory Board and is a member of the Vermont-New Hampshire Direct Marketing Group.
Growth Company Showcase
New Media Rx, Inc., Rob Michalak
April 17, 2003
Innovative Chip Design
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Jeff Finkelstein & Mark Lyons, Microprocessor Designs, Inc.
Microprocessor Designs is an electrical engineering and product design consulting group, founded in 1987 by Jeff Finkelstein. Mark Lyons joined the company as Vice President in 1993. The group specializes in microprocessor based product design and development from the concept phase through manufacturing. In this capacity the group has provided hardware, firmware, and software expertise for numerous clients within the US and Canada. The team, seven full time engineers and one technician, occupies 3500 sq ft of labs and offices in Shelburne, Vermont.
Jeff and Mark presented the approach they’ve used to build a high technology consulting business in Vermont, as well as demonstrated the products that incorporate their services. They also described how they plan to grow the business over the next few years.
Growth Company Showcase
Pure Innovations, Inc., Jonathan Dancing
May 22, 2003
Healthcare Technology on the Move
They Never Used to Make Housecalls Like This
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Rick Cochran, Mobile Medical International Corporation
Mobile Medical International Corporation (MMIC) was founded in 1994 by Rick Cochran, President and CEO, after 10 years of pre-development with the purpose of producing a mobile surgical unit. Since that time the company has developed the world’s first Mobile Surgical UnitTM and introduced it both domestically and internationally. MMIC has one of the highest growth potentials in the state of Vermont, having grown 600% in the last twelve months. The company has gained wide acceptance and created great recognition and enthusiasm throughout the health care industry.
MMIC is considered a health care provider involved in the manufacturing and marketing of mobile medical units. The product is U.S. Code compliant, and includes integrated systems for telemedicine as well as a comprehensive medical gas system, nurse call system, and data management system.
Rick discussed the mobile medical unit market and Vermont’s role in that marketplace. He also went over the mobile medical technology for civilian, military and homeland defense.
Growth Company Showcase
Enforth Solutions, Inc., Bram Kleppner and Andrew Shamis
June 26, 2003
Playing to the Tune of e-Business
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Dave Contois, CONTOIS Music & Technology, LLC and eMusicGear.com
Dave Contois is an owner and partner in eMusicGear.com, a division of Contois Music & Technology, LLC. After attending the Berklee School of Music, Dave decided to return to the family business, which had started as a retailer of pianos and organs in 1971 and transitioned into full-line musical instruments when Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) came onto the scene.
Dave is in charge of all e-commerce and retail operations using the Internet as his instrument to promote the store, teach his students and sell his products. Combining the small storefront with the World Wide Web, he has been able to remain competitive with larger rivals and has grown the company to be one of the leading Yamaha music product retailers in the United States.
Growth Company Showcase
Timberline Interactive, Inc.
Covering “The Top 4 Things You Should Be Doing to Market Your Website,” was co-founder & Vice President of Timberline Interactive, Inc., Bud Reed. Bud has also played a major role in developing ConversionRuler, a performance tracking service that measures the effectiveness of online marketing efforts and expenditures.
July 24, 2003
Business Opportunities in the Intervale
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
David E. Lane, Intervale Foundation
“The Intervale Foundation was created in 1988 as a non-profit center for sustainable ventures and ecological innovation. Located in a unique agricultural setting, partially within the urban limits of Burlington, Vermont, our mission is to incubate sustainable businesses in farming, and value-added food, fiber and fuel production, with a focus on economic development and environmental solutions for communities worldwide. The Foundation’s integrated approach includes a network of farms, programs and ventures that are restoring agricultural land, providing jobs, healthy food, and clean energy to our community.”
August 28, 2003
Surviving the .com Boom & Bust
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
David P. Castrucci, TaskForce, Inc.
David Castrucci, is the founder and President of TaskForce, Inc., which has developed Colligo-Net-CMS, a content management solution for corporate web sites that does not require technical expertise or HTML programming skills. The company has survived the ups and downs of the .com era by utilizing off-shore programmers and establishing key strategic relationships.
Growth Company Showcase
Mad River Rocket Company
September 25, 2003
R&D in the Green Mountains
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Bill Parker, Diffraction, Ltd.
Diffraction Ltd, founded in 1989, operates a 14,000 square foot research and development facility in Waitsfield, Vermont. Diffraction’s labs are equipped to perform custom photomask design, mask product development and lithography systems integration, as well as electro-optics development and testing. Co-founder, Bill Parker, presented an overview of the company’s history with high-tech research.
October 23, 2003
How to Stop Slicing & Hooking
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Richard D. Miller, Advanced Training Systems, Inc.
Advanced Training Systems, Inc. has designed and developed the patent-pending MotionTrainer, a portable low-cost computerized training device for motion-based sports, including golf. ATS has completed production of its prototype and has engaged in extensive field – testing prior to the anticipated roll out of units by its joint venture partner.
Guest Speaker
Lauren Moye, Kingdom County Productions
November 20, 2003
Down to the Roots
Employee Ownership & The Creative Class
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Paul Millman
Vice President, Chroma Technology Corp
Board of Directors, Vermont Employee Ownership Center
Founded in 1991, Chroma Technology Corp. is a 100% employee-owned company that has grown from seven employees to 62. Chroma is the primary producer of optical filters and thin film coatings for three of the four major microscope manufacturers in the world. This maverick employee-owned company has recently moved to their new state-of-the art plant in Rockingham.
Chroma was recently recognized by Vermont Business Magazine as the fastest-growing technology company over the last five years in Vermont. Much of their success is attributed to employee ownership. Vice President, Paul Millman, will go over the advantages and disadvantages of employee ownership as he has encountered them working with the company and as a founding board member of the Vermont Employee Ownership Center.
Growth Company Showcase
Paul Costello
Executive Director, Vermont Council on Rural Development
Council Member, Vermont Council on Culture and Innovation
National reports have concluded that thriving cultural communities are the breeding grounds for creative and innovative businesses. The Vermont Council on Culture and Innovation (VCCI) is in the process of investigating the ties between the state’s cultural and economic activities in order to develop a strategic plan for growing Vermont’s healthy creative economy.
The creative economy is made up of more than the artisans and craftsmen (and women) embedded in many of Vermont’s communities but also the writers, educators, architects, graphic artists, engineers, software designers, developers of new technology and entrepreneurs. Executive Director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, and VCCI council member, Paul Costello, will speak more about this topic to many members of Vermont’s creative class at the next VVN meeting.
December 18, 2003
Sustainable Redevelopment
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Melinda Moulton, Main Street Landing Company
Melinda Moulton has been involved in environmental and socially conscious redevelopment since the early 1980s. She and her Main Street Landing Company redevelopment partner, Lisa Steele, created the innovative “team approach to design and development” philosophy and produced in concept a 25-year incremental redevelopment project for the Burlington Waterfront.
Main Street Landing Company won the 2002 Energy Star for Small Business Award from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. The award recognizes firms that have exemplified the EPA’s Energy Star goals of common-sense, profitable efficiency improvements through better lighting, building tune-ups, electricity load reductions, efficient HVAC and office equipment. Melinda lectures on sustainable redevelopment, environmental and social consciousness and is presently working on a project at the corner of Lake & College Street which includes a 2-screen cinema, black box performance theater, restaurant, solarium, and retail and office space, viewing and pedestrian terraces, and public linkages to the Waterfront. She hopes that the project will help to sustain Vermont’s creative economy and pointed out that local businesses will occupy the new spaces.
Stay tuned… Melinda has offered to take VVN on a tour of the Lake & College project.
Growth Company Showcase
Cool Front, Inc.
One Year Later…From Paper to Prototype to Market!?!?!
Cool Front, Inc. is developing a line of premium recreational snow sleds. Their launch product, the “Hammerhead” sled, will be available in 2004.
Co-founding brothers, Rich & Steve, updated VVN on their progress since last year at this time as well as provided insight, and hindsight, to other early-stage Vermont companies.