2005 Archived Meetings
January 27, 2005
Wind Energy: Finding Its Place in Our Energy Future
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Speaker
Wind Works, LLC
Dermot McGuigan, Brian KillKelley and Gordon MacFarland, CPA
Wind Works, LLC is a Vermont company, which develops utility scale wind farms generating renewable electricity in the northeast. The company’s projects are located in Pennsylvania, New York and selected areas in New England. The company sold its first project (early stage) in 2004.
Wind Works currently enjoys a revenue producing strategic alliance with an European wind farm developer and has completed negotiating a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) with a US utility for the development of multiple wind energy projects. The JDA signature is pending approval by the utility’s board, expected in January. Dermot and Brian have broad experience developing wind energy and other energy projects and Brian formerly worked for a utility. Gordon is a CPA and part-time CFO with the Company.
February 17, 2005
No Cold Feet at this Company
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Ric Cabot, Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc.
Cabot Hosiery Mills, Inc. recently announced the launch of their Darn Tough Vermont™ brand of Premium All Weather Performance Socks.
With manufacturing facilities and offices located in Northfield Vermont, Cabot Hosiery Mills, is a family owned business that has over three generations of sock manufacturing experience. Minutes from premier ski resorts and the historic Long Trail, the Company is situated in the ideal place to create and test products to perform in the most demanding conditions and terrain.
Ric Cabot will join us to discuss how times, and socks, have changed since his father opened the mill more than 25 years ago. Come learn about the challenges an American textile mill faces and what makes Cabot Hosiery one of the best darn knitting facilities in the world.
***Update***
In April 2005, Cabot Hosiery Mills received recognition by two national publications. Most notably they were included in the 2005 Outside Magazine’s Buyers Guide.
Guest Speaker
Paul Costello, 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) has finished 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.
Executive Director of the Vermont Council on Rural Development, and VCCI council member, Paul Costello, will return to VVN with updates on the their findings.
Preregistration
- Via email: If you have attended VVN before, you may send an email to save your seat at the next meeting. Please include your Name, Company (if applicable), Email Address, Phone Number and Mailing Address. As a courtesy, meeting rosters and contact information are sent to attendees after each meeting.
- Download Registration Form: If you have not attended meetings before, or if you’re contact information has changed, please download the registration form, save and email as an attachment to VVNmail@merritt-merritt.com
- Registration Fee for Non-Members: Your $15 registration fee can be mailed in or taken as cash or check (payable to VVN) at the door. This fee includes a continental breakfast. Sorry, we are not able to take credit cards.
- Membership: Find out how to become a member of VVN and attend meetings free of charge.
March 24, 2005
There’s More than Meets the Pie
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Vermont Mystic Pie Company, Inc.
David Barash
In 2004, Vermont Mystic Pie Company, Inc. launched it’s all-natural, bake-and-serve apple pies with the hope of creating more demand for Vermont’s utility apples, a market that has seen a 40 percent decrease in the last 15 years. The pies, baked with Champlain Orchards apples, Cabot Grade AA butter and King Arthur flour, are now being sold in more than 85 stores throughout New England, New York and New Jersey.
Founder Dave Barash, with long time experience in the frozen desserts and natural foods businesses, will share his recipe for combining some of Vermont’s finest ingredients with sustainable businesses practices.
Preregistration
- Via email: If you have attended VVN before, you may send an email to save your seat at the next meeting. Please include your Name, Company (if applicable), Email Address, Phone Number and Mailing Address. As a courtesy, meeting rosters and contact information are sent to attendees after each meeting.
- Download Registration Form: If you have not attended meetings before, or if you’re contact information has changed, please download the registration form, save and email as an attachment to VVNmail@merritt-merritt.com.
- Registration Fee for Non-Members: Your $15 registration fee can be mailed in or taken as cash or check (payable to VVN) at the door. This fee includes a continental breakfast. Sorry, we are not able to take credit cards.
- Membership: Find out how to become a member of VVN and attend meetings free of charge.
April 28, 2005
Selling Smart
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Justin Siegel, JSmart Technologies, Inc.
JSmart Technologies, Inc. is a leading developer and publisher of games and entertainment for mobile phones and Palm OS & Pocket PC handhelds. Their games are among the best-selling for market-leading service providers around the globe such as Verizon Wireless, Cingular, Sprint PCS, Nextel, Starhub, Mobistar, and China Mobile.
Founded in 2001 by local entrepreneurs Justin Siegel and Jamie Hall, JSmart was recently acquired by Skyzone Entertainment , an international mobile entertainment company. Justin will discuss JSmart from its concept to sale and the lessons learned along the way.
Growth Company Showcase
Chittenden Research & Development, LLC
Chittenden Research and Development’s unique new technology for to a wide range of medical and personal care applications, was recently proclaimed Grand Prize Winner in the third annual “Create the Future” competition sponsored by Emhart Teknologies and NASA Tech Briefs magazine. Incorporating CR&D’s proprietary family of high strength integrally molded fastening systems, the new technology promises to increase patient comfort, lower costs, and provide significant additional benefits for many fields.
CR&D’s founder, inventor Leonard Duffy, will discuss how he arrived at this solution as well as some lessons he’s learned about product development.
May 26, 2005
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Nathaniel Group
Joel Melnick, Barbi McDonald, and Keith Williams
Nathaniel Group is a Vermont company that develops, prototypes and manufactures electronic devices. Some of their best-selling products have been medical devices, including products used in arthroscopic surgery and laser therapy. They work closely with doctors to turn new ideas into finished products. The products are often private labeled for global brands.
Founded by Joel Melnick in 1987, Nathaniel is headquartered in Vergennes and employs 40 people. It is one of Vermont’s fastest growing manufacturing companies, with 2005 sales projected to exceed $7 million. The company is ISO 9001 certified and uses smart manufacturing techniques. Co-general Managers Barbi McDonald and Keith Williams join CEO Joel Melnick to talk about the growth of the company (including some of their biggest mistakes!) and the manufacturing challenges and opportunities in the development of medical devices.
Growth Company Showcase
K4SYS, Inc.
K4SYS, Inc. is a start-up company involved in the development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) system and sub-system. Company members are professionals with world-class expertise in the areas of Airframe Design and Advanced Mechanics, Sophisticated Avionics SW and System Engineering for Commercial Aviation.
June 23, 2005
Brewing Up a Sustainable Business
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Vermont Coffee Company
Paul Ralston
Paul Ralston founded Vermont Coffee Company in 2002, and this small, dynamic company continues to forge its own unique path. Vermont Coffee Company is Vermont’s ONLY 100% fair trade 100% certified organic coffee company, and with only 3 packaged coffee blends – and no fancy flavored coffees – they are building a base of dedicated and loyal customers.
The company’s motto, “Coffee Roasted for Friends,” is more than a slogan, it’s a business plan. VCC puts social responsibility into its business model at the front end by paying the fair trade price for organic coffee beans, by roasting in an innovative low-emissions roaster, and by using recyclable packaging. Friend of the farmer, friend of the environment, friend of the customer – all adds up to an innovative and sustainable small business.
Guest Speaker
Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies
VCET’s mission is to accelerate the development of Vermont-based innovations and bring together the resources necessary to launch viable, well-managed start-up companies. VCET offers selected early-stage businesses a menu of traditional incubator services, links to specialty laboratories and equipment, mentors, and service providers as well as capital resources.
July 28, 2005
The Power Behind Renewable Energy Design
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Global Resource Options, LLP
Jeffrey Wolfe
Global Resource Options, Inc. is a full-service Renewable Energy design, sales, installation and service firm. GRO designs complete solar and wind energy systems focusing on sustainable building design and integrating the most appropriate technology and design techniques. They specialize in both “Utility-Tied” (on-grid) and “Off-Grid” renewable power systems. GRO also offers consulting in renewable power, mechanical and electrical systems for major buildings, concentrating in “green” buildings and systems and has worked with some of the country’s premier architects. Join us to learn more from Co-founder Jeff Wolfe.
Global Resource Options is also the 2005 winner of the Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility Terry Ehrich Small Company Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business.
Growth Company Showcase
Eesa Corporation
Eesa Corporation designs, markets and sells fashion driven lifestyle performance clothing to snowboarders in North America. The Company’s main products are thermal underwear, lifestyle performance clothing and brand-related promotional items. With a design degree from the University of Massachusetts, founder Steve Cleary has a decade of experience in the snowboard industry. Steve spent five years working with Burton Snowboards as Product Manager for Advanced Product Development. There he developed and launched Anon optics, a snowboard goggle company for Burton, which grew to a $3.9 million global company in a highly saturated and competitive industry.
August 25, 2005
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Brook Venture Partners, LLC
Andrew D. Clapp
Brook Venture Fund invests $1-4 million in companies located in New England, upstate New York, and in the Baltimore to Northern Virginia corridor. Brook has made 18 investments from its first fund and has made two investments from its second Fund, Brook Venture Fund II, a $100 million SBIC in formation. Based outside Boston, the Fund has a satellite office in Albany, NY.
Brook has an unusual model under which the Fund invests in a company and also aggregates capital from private investors through Brook Co-investment Limited Partnership, which invest on the same terms as the Fund. This enables individual investors to invest in a specific company while enjoying the same benefits accorded to an institutional investor, including a high level of oversight provided by an experienced institutional investor.
Learn more from Andrew Clapp, who has spoken on such topics as “Finding Capital in a Challenging Environment” and “Venture Investing for Angels and Entrepreneurs.”
After the networking, if anyone would like to stay, Andy will hold a Venture Capital Roundtable and cover other topics relating to financing, term sheets, etc., as well as answer questions.
Growth Company Showcase
Himaya, Inc.
The global sun protection market is estimated at $4.3 billion annually. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. Outdoor and action sports are increasing in popularity. Awareness of proper skin care is increasing. Combined, they create a huge opportunity for an authentic skin protection brand. Himaya’s high quality sunscreens address the performance needs of the outdoor athlete while helping to protect them from the harmful affects of solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Himaya is entering the market as a global brand in the specialty sport market where competition is very fragmented.
September 22, 2005
Turning Passion Into Business: A Shining Example
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Conant Custom Brass
Steve Conant
Steve has been working to satisfy his passion for decorative metalwork since 1979 when he chose to make a living working with metal and founded Conant Custom Brass. Over the years, Steve has proven capable of more than growing a business. He’s a community leader who has served on several local non-profit boards and currently chairs the board of ReCycle North. An avid craftsman comfortable with most mediums, Steve believes in doing things right the first time and never tires of improving upon what he and his company have already done. He’s made a life’s work of meeting the challenges a small business has to offer in a changing world.
Come hear about some of the changes that take place as a man evolves from artist to start-up to thriving business. Steve will discuss some of the challenges that led to change in his company and the organizational development solutions that Conant Custom Brass has employed over the years, including those brought about through his recent experience with the Peer to Peer Collaborative.
Growth Company Showcase
Draker Solar Designs
AJ Rossman
In addition to promoting sustainable technologies through its products and services, Draker Solar Design is putting theory into practice at the green office building it has renovated in Burlington’s Old North End. Already home to a number of local organizations and to the host’s solar technology business, the energy-efficient solar-assisted office building is becoming a showcase for new sustainable technologies and an incubator for start-up companies. It will also function as a laboratory for innovative solar monitoring equipment, and will be a demonstration site for renewable energy systems performance.
AJ Rossman will update VVN on Draker Solar’s plan for growing the company/ management team and is looking forward to feed and direction from the audience.
October 27, 2005
Direct Marketing: Vermont’s Hidden Industry… Does it have a future?
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Gardener’s Supply Company
Jim Feinson
Gardener’s Supply Company is the largest direct-to- consumer gardening supplies catalog in the nation. Founded by Will Raap in 1983, with its headquarters in Burlington, Vermont, Gardener’s is an employee- owned company with 275 employees. Gardener’s Supply is passionate about providing garden-tested, earth friendly products and believes in the positive effects gardening can have on the community. Currently Gardener’s donates 8 percent of its pre-tax profit to gardening, sustainable agriculture, environmental and hunger-related organizations and has founded such organizations as the Burlington Compost Project and the Intervale Foundation.
Jim Feinson, president of Gardener’s Supply – a multi-million dollar direct marketing company – will join us to discuss Vermont’s direct marketing industry and its opportunities for the entrepreneur.
Growth Company Showcase
High Mowing Seeds
Since 1980, the organic food industry has been growing at 20% annually. Currently only 1% of Certified Organic land in the U.S. is planted with organic seed because of lack of availability and poor quality.
High Mowing Seeds, based in Wolcott, Vermont, is a vertically-integrated 100% certified organic seed company supplying primarily vegetable seed as well as some flower, herb and cover crop seeds. The company breeds, grows, cleans, warehouses, packages and distributes seeds as seed packets for commercial and home growers, seed racks for retail store displays and in bulk to other seed companies.
November 17, 2005
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Daybreak Intellecutal Capital Solutions
Kara Cleaver, Founder, President, Chief Operating Officer
Jerry Johnson, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder
With more than 10 years of dedication to enterprise content management, Kara is experienced in business process development, information modeling and single-sourcing strategies, content lifecycle and workflow development, and customized end-user training. Responsible for all aspects of day to day operations at Daybreak, Kara also has led the company’s strategy to establish partnerships with Documentum, Arbortext, and Visioneer. A proven business leader with a strong services delivery background, Kara has held senior positions in government contracting, higher ed, and with a leading corporate telecommunications training company. She has been responsible for technical editing, applications support, media and product services. She directed and managed corporate business-critical applications beginning with Documentum and interfacing all other applications into the system including product selection, implementation, systems integration, training and support.
Jerry is a senior executive with a proven record of effectively leading organizations ranging in size from less than five employees to over one thousand. His strengths include building customer focused professional organizations that anticipate and adapt to changing requirements and new technologies. With 25 years experience in telecommunications, Jerry held positions as General Manager of Integrated Planning and Vice President of Network Design at NYNEX. Moving to a leading corporate telecommunications training company as President and Chief Operating Officer, Jerry reorganized management to improve communications and customer focus and closed unprofitable ventures while establishing new partnerships and products. Jerry also created an independent consulting company specializing in telecom and Internet applications, technical training, and executive coaching with a focus on small companies and startup operations.
Learn about their work at Daybreak Intellectual Capital Solutions, which provides content management (ECM) products and services in the create/capture, manage, deliver, and archive spaces.
December 15, 2005
A Handcrafted Success
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Danforth Pewterers, Ltd.
Since 1975 Danforth Pewterers has been designing, manufacturing and marketing pewter holloware, giftware and jewelry . Headquartered in the Marbleworks in Middlebury, the Company sells through wholesale and retails channels and though its website and three retail locations in Vermont.
Growth Company Showcase
Crighton Snomoto
Crighton LLC was founded five years ago with a vision to bring the sport of BMX (Bicycle motocross) to the snow. Three years later, Crighton released the 28ST Snowmoto line of snow bikes. Core riders loved it and SnowBMX was born. Now Crighton is going to take this segment and drive it into the main stream with the release of the E28: an affordable, collapsible mass market version of the 28ST competition line. With sales and distribution already established in North America, Europe, Asia and the southern hemisphere, Crighton is poised to become the next Burton Snowboards of the winter sports market.
