2006 Archived Meetings
January 26, 2006
IDX Systems Corporation
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Richard Tarrant, Co-Founder of IDX Systems Corporation
In 1969, Rich Tarrant and Robert Hoehl, both graduates of St. Michael’s College, co-founded a company called Burlington Data Processing – performing payroll, billing, and accounting functions. Over time the company began specializing in the healthcare industry. As IDX Systems Corporation, it grew to be a leading provider of healthcare information technology solutions: maximizing value in the delivery of healthcare, improving the quality of patient service, enhancing medical outcomes, and reducing the costs of care.
Not long after the company’s 25th anniversary and the hiring of its 1000th employee, IDX became the largest home-grown company to go public in the history of Vermont. In 2003, Rich stepped down as CEO to become Chairman of the Board of Directors and has held that seat through the company’s recent acquisition by GE, a global leader in medical imaging, healthcare services, life sciences and information technology.
Rich will join VVN to discuss his experiences with IDX over the last three decades.
Growth Company Showcase
Qvault, Inc., Rob Cecil, Founder and CEO
Qvault was founded in 2003 in Essex Junction, Vermont. Having grown from boot strap start up to become a leading real estate and mortgage lending technology services company with clients coast to coast; Qvault is positioning itself for major growth via strategic acquisitions while partnering with some of the largest companies in the real estate and mortgage lending industry.
Qvault has won awards for technology design and has been recognized as ‘one of the top 10 companies to watch in the mortgage technology industry’ by National Mortgage News; the most respected journal in the mortgage banking industry.
February 23, 2006
Autumn Harp:
When Does Buying a Business Make Cents?
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Dave Logan, Autumn Harp, Inc.
A developer and manufacturer of natural, petrochemical-free lip and skin-care products sold for rebranding in the personal care industry, Autumn Harp’s premium hot-pour products are tailor made for each client, ranging from independent brands to global corporations. In addition to being known for its quality products and services, the company has also been recognized for its quality workplace practices.
Dave Logan and his brother, John, acquired Autumn Harp in 2001. Dave is joining us to discuss his involvement in the purchase/sale of several companies, including Autumn Harp and Palmer Foundry, Inc. and Baker School Specialty Co., Inc. of Massachusetts.
Growth Company Showcase
Dave Winslow, EpikOne, Inc.
EpikOne is a web consultancy focusing on analytics, optimization and search – serving clients around the globe ranging from Fortune 500 firms to small e-commerce start-ups. Their approach blends experienced web experts with Google technologies to deliver solutions that move business online faster, better and with more success.
EpikOne is a Google Authorized Consultant.
March 23, 2006
Spicing Up the Global Business Model
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Sylvia Blanchet, Co-Founder
ForesTrade is a leading international supplier of organic and sustainably produced tropical spices, vanilla, essential oils, and Fair Trade coffee. It directly sources products from over 5,000 small-scale, indigenous farmers in Indonesia and Guatemala. Leading in conservation and Fair Trade initiatives, ForesTrade is deeply committed to promoting resource conservation, biodiversity, organic and sustainable agriculture, and socio-economic progress in the farming communities with which it works.
The company supplies a diverse customer base around the world, comprised of tea and beverage companies, distributors, spice companies, flavor and fragrance houses, nutraceutical companies, manufacturers and coffee importers and roasters. With warehousing and processing facilities in the U.S., Europe, Indonesia and Guatemala, ForesTrade is able to meet its customers’ diverse supply needs as well as offer support and guidance on product development projects, market trends, organic regulations, logistics and marketing promotions.
Growth Company Showcase
New England High Purity, Inc.
Adam Tarr founded NEHP in the fall of 2000. The company manufactures modular components used to streamline manufacturing equipment installation. NEHP designs and builds standardized modules that are configurable for semiconductor, food & beverage, pharmaceutical/biotech and manufacturing companies. Its Modular Method for semiconductor tool installation is patent pending, and its modular solutions have been successfully used by the world’s largest semiconductor OEM, IBM, Intel, Vishay, BOC, Nikon, and SUNY Albany.
April 20, 2006
The Magic Behind Microwbrews
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Magic Hat Brewing Company, Alan Newman
The Magic Hat Brewing Company was founded in 1994 by brewer Bob Johnson and entrepreneur Alan Newman in order to make the best tasting beers on the planet. In the years following the duo’s very first 15-barrel batch of beer, the South Burlington, Vermont company has become one of the Northeast’s leading microbreweries. Distributed today from Maine to Virginia, Magic Hat is known for its distinctively flavorful offerings and imaginative recipes that combine ancient brewing traditions with the miracles of modern science.
Created in the company’s unique brewery and Artifactory, Magic Hat’s family of fermentations includes three year-round beers, a full line of seasonal ales, and a variety of special single-batch “Wonder Beers.” Magic Hat has been hailed by the appreciative palates and grateful connoisseurs everywhere who enjoy the brewer’s pours more than any they’ve explored before.
Growth Company Showcase
Pop Soda
Pop Soda is all natural, handcrafted Vermont micro soda. We brew authentic flavors of handcrafted soda from scratch using traditional brewing methods and natural ingredients. As Pop Soda is unfiltered and contains fibers from all natural ingredients in each bottle, we call it “pop with pulp.” Pop Soda is brewed, conditioned and bottled at our seven barrel micro soda brewery in Moretown, Vermont.
May 25, 2006
Embracing Market-Driven Change in an Entrepreneurial Culture
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Resolution, Inc., Bill Schubart and Heb Ryan
Resolution, Inc. has made a business of evolving. Founded in 1982 as an audio/film production company, Resolution was later able to reinvest the proceeds of the sale of its audiocassette manufacturing facility, the largest in North America, into pursuing other emerging industries. The Company has been an early adopter of technology from thermo-magnetic duplication (TMD) in VHS duplication to integrated shopping carts on client e-commerce websites. Adding call centers, fulfillment/warehouse management systems and integrated services has greatly expanded Resolution’s client base and allows them to support clients’ business needs in an ever changing marketplace.
CEO Bill Schubart and COO Herberden Ryan will discuss why Resolution bears no resemblance today to what it was 24-years ago, how Heb viewed the Company from the outside before joining the executive team and their goals for future growth now that the company has fully transitioned from manufacturing to services.
Growth Company Showcase
Bright Card, Co-founders Andy Rossmeissl and Jake Whitcomb
Bright Card is an innovative credit card “reward” program that permits the user to offset his/her carbon footprint.
June 22, 2006
A Recipe for Rapid Growth
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Home Bistro Foods, Inc., David Thompson
Based in Plattsburgh, NY, Home Bistro Foods, Inc. produces and markets a wide variety of high-quality pre-cooked gourmet frozen foods that are sold directly to customers via website and catalog. The company recently brought its Midwest fulfillment operations in-house and expanded operational capacity to meet sales, which have grown at a rate of 100% per year. Home Bistro has financed its growth with bank debt and several rounds of equity financing from individual and institutional investors.
David Thompson will discuss the challenges of growing at a rapid pace and the company’s plans for the future.
July 27, 2006
Microstrain: Putting Technology to the Stress Test
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Microstrain, Inc., Steve Arms
MicroStrain, Inc. is based in Williston, Vermont and is a privately held corporation. Founded in 1987, the company began by producing micro-displacement sensors for strain measurement in biomechanics research applications, initially designing their sensors for arthroscopic implantation on human knee ligaments. One of the first sensor companies to add wireless capability, Microstrain has developed sensors for use in applications such as civil structures, advanced manufacturing, unmanned military vehicles, and automobile engines. The company went down in history when it assisted the transport of the Liberty Bell to ensure the crack in the bell would not split further, by monitoring stress levels during its 200 yard move to the Liberty Bell Center.
Join us to hear Steve Arms discuss this and other groundbreaking projects Microstrain has been involved in over the years.
*** A follow up to part of Steve’s discussion at the meeting***
FYR, below are two hyperlinks to a noteworthy fatigue related structural failure aboard a commercial airliner. This incident has led to significant improvements in airline maintenance procedures and awareness of the importance of careful structural inspections, particularly for aging aircraft.
Our military is being asked to operate aircraft longer and with less funds. Sensors can increase the efficiency of inspections, enhance maintenance, increase safety, increase lifespan, and reduce operating costs.
Because military aircraft are stressed much more rigorously as compared to commercial airliners, and because these stresses are so variable from plane-to-plane; advanced sensors and sensor networks are currently a very hot defense topic.
http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Aircraft/Aircraft.htm
http://www.corrosion-doctors.org/Aircraft/Aloha.htm
August 24, 2006
Vermont Guardian Media
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Shay Totten, Publisher & Editor
Vermont Guardian Media is an employee-owned company that publishes the statewide weekly newspaper Vermont Guardian, the monthly Vermont Review of Books and the daily website, VermontGuardian.com (www.vermontguardian.com).
The company began publishing in September 2004 to stand in contrast to the emerging trend in Vermont’s media: less in-depth news coverage and increased balkanization between distinct regions of the state. Since its inception, the Guardian has provided an independent perspective with a commitment to credible investigations, and provocative and informative stories that others either miss or choose to ignore.
The Guardian has also led the way on several fronts in the use of the Internet to deliver news to Vermonters, often breaking stories on the web before they ever see print, as well as offering a unique online experience through a special subscription service.
September 28, 2006
WallGoldfinger: Bringing Quality to the Table
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
John Wall, Wall/ Goldfinger
Founded in 1971, Wall Goldfinger designs and builds custom furniture for Fortune 100 companies, leading financial institutions, nationally known law firms, government agencies, and elite colleges and universities. The most respected architectural firms in the country specify Wall Goldfinger. The furniture is manufactured to exacting specifications, integrating the latest in communication technology, and using the finest materials: hardwood veneers and lumber, local and imported granite and marble, stainless steel and bronze, leather and glass.
Many of the important decisions of our time are made at WallGoldfinger tables. Members of The Federal Reserve, The International Monetary Fund, The New York Stock Exchange, The Environmental Protection Agency and The United Nations all meet at WallGoldfinger tables. The company is committed to a trained and informed staff, and has participated in Open Book Management for the past 15 years. Improving the environmental processes in both their manufacturing and specification of materials has become an important and ongoing issue for WallGoldfinger and their clients. This year John Wall was awarded the U.S. Small Business Administrations Vermont Business Person of the Year.
Growth Company Showcase
Alex Wolff, Vermont Frost Heaves
In the fall of 2004, Sports Illustrated writer Alexander Wolff began to explore the possibility of bringing pro basketball to Vermont. The result is a fan-friendly and affordable model, tailored to the state the team calls home.
Learn how Alex plans for the Frost Heaves to be: sustainable, local, built to scale, of the community and embracing the Internet revolution.
October 26, 2006
And on the Seventh Day, She Started Her Own Paper
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Pamela Polston and Paula Routly, Seven Days
Plenty of people didn’t think Seven Days would last longer than its name: a week.
It seemed like political suicide to go up against a Gannett-owned daily and two weeklies — one of which Seven Days founders Pamela and Paula had created — in a small, media-saturated market. At the news-oriented Vermont Times, they created the arts paper Vox, only to discover five months later that both papers were for sale. These two women decided to start over and create their own paper, convinced that Vermonters would embrace a smart, edgy — and locally owned — alternative to the mainstream media.
On September 6, 1995, the debut issue of Seven Days hit the streets. Two months later, Peter Freyne brought his popular column, “Inside Track” to Seven Days, making the paper a must-read for Vermont’s political junkies in and out of the Statehouse. The first frantic five years now seem like a blur, perhaps due to working long hours Seven Days a week! But the founders say being on the edge also made them more creative — both in the way they grew the business and the way they presented stories about the communities they serve.
A past recipient of the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce’s “Business of the Year” Award and other numerous awards in writing, design and customer service, Seven Days has continued to grow while remaining dedicated to quality.
Come hear this dynamic duo share their mishaps, milestones, great moments in history (including the intro of: Seven Daysies Awards, 7 Nights and http://www.sevendayssvt.com) and breaking news (like their web updates that have yet to be unveiled!)…
Growth Company Showcase
David Howe, Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies
Located in Farrell Hall on UVM’s Trinity College campus, VCET is a targeted small business development program affiliated with UVM designed to foster the success of new high-growth, high technology firms in Vermont.
The initiative leverages UVM technology and specialty laboratory facilities and equipment; link client companies to key faculty, staff, and student interns from UVM and other academic institutions; and connect clients to an extensive network of private sector mentors and advisors and private investment capital resources.
Recent “alumni” of the Center include ElectroCell Technologies and Bulldog Entertainment. Learn what these companies are up to now and who has taken their place on the hill.
November 16, 2006
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Morgan Wolaver, Otter Creek Brewing
Located in Middlebury, Otter Creek Brewing sold its first keg of beer in 1991. And within four years, the brewery had to move its operations to a larger facility down the road.
Wolaver’s Certified Organic Ales was first produced in 1998 in partnership with Panorama Brewing Company. All Wolaver’s beers are made with no less than 98% certified organic ingredients, certified organic by Vermont Organic Farmers. In May of 2002, the Wolaver family purchased Otter Creek Brewing, which remains a family owned Vermont company and produces all Otter Creek and Wolaver’s brands for distribution throughout the country.
Morgan Wolaver will join us to discuss the Wolaver’s Organic Ale start up business model, its marketing, growth and the purchase of/ merger with Otter Creek Brewing.
December 14, 2006
Breakfast * 8:00am
Speakers * 8:15am
Networking * 9:30am
Wyndham Hotel
60 Battery Street
Burlington, Vermont
Main Speaker
Giant Step Strategies, Bob Verrico
Giant Step Strategies was formed to help companies maximize online revenue streams by utilizing cutting edge technologies combined with proven marketing strategies. Co-Founders Bob Verrico and Nikesh Desai have over 30 years of combined experience successfully building and executing revenue initiatives and strategic partnerships that have dramatically grown top and bottom line revenue streams for many companies…both interactive and traditional.
Giant Step has worked with companies such as: PeoplePC, NEOS, EatingWell Media Group and Financial Times. They also maintain strong strategic relationships with Yahoo (Finance, Lifestyles: Health/Diet/Fitness/Food, MyYahoo, News and Search), MSN (Money, Health and MSNBC), AOL, Google, WebMD, RealAge, TD Ameritrade, Fidelity and many other relationships that are critical to online marketing growth.
Bob specializes in strategies and tactics that most successfully attract a better online customer, retain them longer, and increasing customer yield over time, and has spoken on topics including Trends on Today’s Consumers and Online Marketing Strategies.