CEDRR February Mixer at Rutland Bowlerama and more!
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Tuesday, January 27, 2026
Read on for:
Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County Ribbon Cutting | CEDRR February Mixer Hosted by Rutland Bowlerama | CEDRR Legislative Breakfast |
Membership Spotlight | What's New in Rutland County | Career Hub | Upcoming Events
Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County Ribbon Cutting
Join us for a Ribbon Cutting at Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County's new building on February 2, from 12-1 PM. We are celebrating their new location, 3092 Cold River Road, which includes a 540-square-foot Home Panel Workshop allowing homes to be built indoors year-round, a new ReStore space, and community space.
"We are changing lives in 540 square feet," said Rebekah Stephens, executive director of Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County.
Click here for more information about Habitat for Humanity of Rutland County →
CEDRR February Mixer Hosted by Rutland Bowlerama
Join the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region for bowling, food, and fun at the CEDRR February Mixer on February 10 from 5-7 p.m. at the Rutland Bowlerama!
This is your opportunity to test your bowling skills! There will be discounted games of bowling for mixer attendees and food will be provided by The Golden Bull. The Rutland Bowlerama is in Rutland City, 158 South Main Street. We hope to see you there!
CEDRR Legislative Breakfast Rescheduled Date TBA
Due to the recent snow storm, the Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region (CEDRR) decided to postpone the CEDRR Legislative Breakfast. Once the event is rescheduled, we will make an announcement with the new date and time. Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Government Affairs with the Vermont Chamber of Commerce will be our guest speaker and the event will take place at Southside Steakhouse.
The CEDRR Legislative Breakfast is sponsored by Omya.
CEDRR would like to thank the following businesses for renewing their membership:
CEDRR Mixer Door Prize Request
The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region's (CEDRR) networking mixers are casual, fun gatherings that bring together CEDRR members, community leaders and Rutland County residents. Each month, a member business or organization partners with us to host a mixer, providing an opportunity to showcase their location, products, and services while fostering new relationships and community connections.
Door prizes are a popular, value-added benefit of our monthly mixers. While the host business provides prizes, we also welcome contributions from other member businesses and organizations.
Benefits of donating a door prize include:
Increased Visibility: Your business gains recognition in front of a wide audience of professionals and community members.
Networking Opportunities: Prizes create conversation starters and connect you with potential clients and partners.
Promotion of Local Businesses: Showcase your products or services while encouraging attendees to visit and support your business.
Community Engagement: Help foster a sense of connection and belonging at one of the region’s most popular networking events.
Business Growth: Winners are more likely to become future customers, contributing to your business success and CEDRR’s mission of economic growth.
We would love to feature your business as a door prize sponsor at an upcoming mixer! For more information, or to provide a prize, please contact Chrispin White, Member Services & Events Manager at chrispin@rutlandeconomy.com or by calling (802)770-7066.
Regional Priority Projects Announced
Annually, Regional Development Corporations (RDCs) in Vermont compile Regional Project Prioritization lists for their region. These lists help to identify high priority projects for NBRC investment.
Regional Project Prioritization (RPP) lists are developed annually by Regional Development Corporations (RDCs) to identify projects of priority and importance in the region using input from Regional Planning Commissions, municipalities, partners, and communities. Input is gathered through wide engagement via newsletters, public meetings, and convenings. Below is the Rutland County list.
Fair Haven Skyline: Good Jobs and Healthy Homes - The Good Jobs and Healthy Homes project will reactivate the former Mobile home factory in Fair Haven, VT. The factory will produce manufactured housing making home ownership affordable in our region again.
Vermont Farmers Food Center - VFFC will have a single facility from which to efficiently operate its own programs and services including Farmacy, online food sales, and its teaching kitchen, as well as distribution logistics such as cross-docking, dry, cold and frozen storage, and last-mile deliveries to farm stands and general stores.
Rutland Airport Business Park Phase II Expansion - This project seeks to expand the water and fire suppression systems of the Rutland Airport Business Park to allow for development of “Phase II” properties, which are currently not serviced by these systems.
Poultney Rec Hub - The Town of Poultney seeks to prioritize and implement its 2021 EPA Recreation Economy for Rural Communities Action plan and its 2023 ‘Town to Trails Master Plan’ which identified creation of an Outdoor Recreation Hub as a key element of its implementation plan. The master plan identified several locations in the community as potential sites for this type of community facility.
Rutland City: Center & Wales Redevelopment - The Rutland City Center & Wales Redevelopment Project is focuses on the redevelopment of two primary arteries of historic Downtown Rutland. It features both significant municipal upgrades and the redevelopment of a 50-year brownfield site with a new hotel, housing, and dining.
Benson Village Store - For 150 years, the Benson Village Store served as the cornerstone for community and communication in Benson, literally in the heart of the village. It is where they could hang notices for town business, pick up small groceries, grab a quick sandwich, find that small hardware item, or a fishing line before heading out to the lake. Benson Village Trust, Inc. intends to apply for funding (NBRC, CDS, VCDP) in early 2025, purchase the land and construct the new store once funds are secured. The store will open in 2026.
Rutland City Creek Project - Segment 5 links the 2 bridges, providing the community a means to safely use active transportation in an area lacking such infrastructure.
Advancing Vermont's Workforce Development - VAL seeks to implement new Rutland-based trainings within additional high-need sectors including healthcare and the electrical and/or plumbing trades while continuing to sustain Energy Works and expand into other corners of the green energy industry. Continued funding would allow for the continuation of Energy Works and the development and execution of new training opportunities, enabling VAL to run at least 6 trainings in Rutland over 3 years, each 3-4 weeks in length, for up to 12 participants per training.
Community Health Brandon - With this project Community Health Centers of the Rutland Region (CHCRR) will improve access to comprehensive care for residents in one of the most rural parts of the county with the expansion of Community Health (CH) Brandon. This project will expand existing primary care, behavioral health, care management and pharmacy services and add dental care, increasing the square footage of the current health center facility by 45%. CH Brandon serves the 4,129 residents of Brandon and the additional 4,980 residents in the surrounding communities of Pittsford, Goshen, Leicester, Whiting and Sudbury.
Rutland City Library - The Library is on borrowed time at its current location; deferred maintenance has led to all the mechanical systems, roof, and overall appearance needing major repairs. Known and likely hazardous materials multiply the cost, complexity and time needed for such work. So we are motivated to find a solution. Over the past 15 years, that has included reviews of simply repairing the current building, or moving to the Berwick Hotel site, the former College of St. Joseph, and the Asa Bloomer building.
Vermont Adaptive Executive Director Erin Fernandez (left); Mead Binhammer, project director at the Vermont Land Trust (middle); and property owner Nancy Martin (right), pose for a photo at the Rochester property after the closing in December 2025. Courtesy photo.
Vermont Adaptive Secures 125 Acres for New Outdoor Center, First of Its Kind in Vermont
Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports has purchased more than 125 acres of land in Rochester and conserved the property with the Vermont Land Trust (VLT). The land will become Vermont Adaptive’s first owned outdoor education and retreat center, officials announced this week.
The sale, which closed December 15, 2025, was completed in partnership with VLT and with acquisition funding from the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board (VHCB). The property will be permanently protected under a conservation easement held by VLT and VHCB.
The property — now known as the Vermont Adaptive Outdoor Center — includes a historic farmhouse, garage and barn, forestland, open fields, a pond, and access to an established trail network connected to the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective’s multi-use Rochester Valley Network, as well as the larger Velomont Trail system.
Vermont Adaptive plans to use the land for multi-day retreats for Veterans with disabilities, adaptive sports and wellness programming for all ages, intern housing, and public recreation.
Community and Housing Infrastructure Program (CHIP) Officially Launches This Month
The Community and Housing Infrastructure Program, or CHIP, allows municipalities and developers to borrow money for infrastructure like roads, sidewalks and sewers for a housing development — and then use the property tax revenue boost from the new homes to help pay back the debt. The program could unleash $2 billion in infrastructure spending over the next decade.
The initiative officially launches this month, after lawmakers and Gov. Phil Scott authorized its creation last summer. State officials opened a pre-application interest form and have kicked off a series of training sessions to drum up interest from municipal leaders and homebuilders.
The Rutland County town of Fair Haven recently acquired a 24-acre former race track donated by a co-founder of the Castleton-based lighting company Hubbardton Forge. The town plans to utilize CHIP and ultimately spur the construction of middle-income homes for sale on the site, the Rutland Herald reported in late December.
New Apprenticeship Fund Available
VMEC and the VT Department of Labor (VT DOL) are pleased to announce their latest Apprenticeship partnership. The American Manufacturing Apprenticeship Incentive Fund is a new pay-for-performance federal incentive program administered by VMEC on behalf of the U.S. Department of Labor. It is designed to help employers create, expand, and sustain Registered Apprenticeship programs in advanced manufacturing.
Why It Matters Manufacturers who hire apprentices through Registered Apprenticeship programs can receive $3,500 per apprentice after they complete a 90-day probationary period. (Note: This funding is only available for new apprentices who are registered and begin the program on or after January 28, 2026.) This supports workforce development, reduces recruitment and training cost burdens, and aligns employers with a scalable talent pipeline across advanced manufacturing occupations.
Funding Available for Organizations and Programs Supporting Vermont Women and Girls
Funding is now available from the Vermont Women’s Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation for programs that address systemic barriers to economic wellbeing and recognize the disproportionate impact of these barriers on women and girls based on race, gender identity, sexuality, class, age, and ability.
The competitive grant program will award grants of up to $15,000 for proposals that:
- Make pathways to economic wellbeing more visible, accessible, and affordable for all women and girls
- Invest in the economic security and career prospects of women, especially those earning less than a living wage
- Advance strategies that address systemic barriers to economic wellbeing and thriving in Vermont
- Enhance the capacity of the organization to achieve its mission and stated values
Vote for the 2026 Best of Business Awards
VermontBiz asks its readers – the business leaders of Vermont – who they trust to provide their services in over 100+ different categories. The go-to list in the state for everything from Best Bank and Best Public Relations Firm to Best College for an Online Degree is compiled. Some of the questions and answers are based on a regional perspective while most of the categories were looking for statewide winners.
VermontBiz has spent the last 50+ years forging its relationship with Vermont's business community and the BOB Awards provides an opportunity to tell us, other readers and the rest of the state which companies in Vermont have the best products and services for businesses.
The results of the BOB Awards speak to the stand-out businesses in Vermont: the ones that offer the best customer service, that are willing to go above and beyond and to pay attention to detail.
Coming Soon
Join us for the first annual Real Rutland Community Round Up on March 5 at the Hub Co-Works from 5-7 p.m.
One of the best things about Rutland County is that there is ALWAYS something going on and there has never been a better time to get involved!
Maybe your New Year’s Resolution was to join a club or learn a new skill. Maybe you are looking for a good way to beat the winter blues and make some new friends. Maybe you are curious about what kinds of clubs and organizations exist in Rutland County. No matter your motive, you are sure to find something of interest here!
We have gathered together the faces of some wonderful groups across the county, and they are so excited to meet you. There will be food, friends, and door prizes!
Don't Miss Your Chance to Save on Memberships to The Hub CoWorks
The Hub CoWorks is offering a 20% discount on our weekly, monthly, and yearly hot desk memberships until January 31, 2026.
Through this offer, a weekly hot desk membership is $60 (regularly $75); a monthly membership is $79 (regularly $99); and a yearly membership is $480 (regularly $600). To take advantage of these savings, visit thehubcoworks.com and select the "Become a Member" button.
Limit one discount per member. These discounts will not automatically renew. After January 31, 2026, members will need to actively renew their membership at the full rate. This discount does not apply to existing memberships that are currently active.
The Chamber & Economic Development of the Rutland Region's Career Hub features full-time jobs across Rutland County that provide a salary higher than the Vermont living wage.
Staff Accountant Level 2
Cornerstone Housing Partners is seeking a Staff Accountant Level 2 to join their team.
Senior Accountant
Cornerstone Housing Partners is seeking a Senior Accountant to join their team.
Access/Intake Clinician
Community Care Network is seeking an Access/Intake Clinician to join their team.
View Rutland County career opportunities & post your position →
Lock It Down: Passwords & MFA for Cybersecurity Success
January 29 | 11 AM-12 PM | Virtual | Free
Vermont APEX Accelerator is hosting the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Cybersecurity Advisor for Vermont for a fast-paced, 1-hour session on two of the most important ways to protect your business: Passwords & Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).
Why Attend:
- Protect your business: Learn how strong passwords and MFA guard against cyber threats, and which federal contracting controls in FAR 52.204-21 and CMMC 2.0 they can help you meet.
- Learn from CISA: Discover how CISA helps businesses defend against cyber attacks and strengthen their cybersecurity posture.
- Walk away with actionable steps: Simple, practical measures you can implement immediately.
SBA 101: The Key to Funding, Growth, and Success
February 2 | 1-2:30 PM | Virtual | Free
The key to funding, growth, and success lies in a strategic combination of preparation, networking, and adaptability. Securing funding requires a solid business plan, financial transparency, and a clear value proposition that appeals to investors, lenders. Growth is fueled by strong leadership, market awareness, and the ability to scale operations efficiently while maintaining quality. Success, in turn, depends on resilience, continuous learning, and building meaningful relationships with stakeholders, including customers, partners, and industry leaders.
Networking and Relationship Building: Your Professional Toolbox
February 10 | 12-1:30 PM | Virtual | Free-$50
This interactive workshop empowers individuals to enhance their networking skills by focusing on the value of intentional relationships. Participants will learn how to identify and connect with meaningful contacts, develop lasting rapport, and adopt a mindset that supports confident and authentic engagement. Through practical strategies and guided reflection, attendees will leave with a personalized action plan to build and maintain a strong, sustainable network for both personal and professional growth.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the importance of networking and building relationships.
- Develop strategies for identifying and connecting with valuable contacts.
- Learn effective communication techniques for building rapport.
- Foster a positive networking mindset and overcome common challenges.
- Create a plan for actively managing and nurturing your professional network.
