Plymouth, N.H.
The program begins March 6 with six weeks of Monday-morning educational sessions covering topics such as strategic marketing, management skills and financing. Each participant will also have access to one-on-one mentoring and advising sessions throughout the entire program and the opportunity to work out of the Enterprise Center at Plymouth. The program will end in May with “Demo Day,” providing each participant the opportunity to present his or her business idea to panel of judges with a chance to win a cash prize.
Space is limited. Applications will be accepted until Feb. 13 or until all spots are filled. Applications and more information can be found at www.apexaxlr8.com, by emailing easpieth@plymouth.edu or calling 603-535-2523.
The Enterprise Center at Plymouth is a joint effort by Plymouth State University and the Grafton Regional Development Corp. It features a 10,000-square-foot business incubator with flexible office space, common-use conference rooms, the latest technology and access to resources to support aspiring entrepreneurs and growing businesses. For more information about the Enterprise Center, visit www.enterprisecenternh.com, email chris@graftonrdc.org or call 603-536-2011.
Liberty Utilities has completed a $6 million upgrade to an electrical substation at 19 Medical Center Drive in Lebanon. The project, performed in cooperation with National Grid, took more than four years to plan, engineer and construct, the company said in a news release. Liberty Utilities spokesman John Shore said the project at the company’s Mount Support Substation “will increase reliability and allow for future growth in Lebanon and Hanover.” The upgrade consists of new transmission and distribution circuits that will provide redundancy in the event of a supply failure. “This project will allow for future business growth in the region,” Shore said in the release.
White River Junction-based Vermont Amber, maker of organic toffee, was presented with a Good Food Award at a ceremony last month at the historic Herbst Theater in San Francisco, Calif. Chosen from among 2,059 entrants nationwide, the 193 Good Food Awards recipients met specific standards of environmentally sound agricultural practices, good animal husbandry, sourcing transparency and responsible relationships throughout the supply chain, the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food, and Markets said in a news release. Vermont Amber as selected for it Fennel Seed Toffee. Other Vermont winners from the Upper Valley region included Fat Toad Farm, of Brookfield, and Spring Brook Farm, of Reading.
The Twin Pines Housing Trust is hosting two Neighborworks Homebuyer Education Workshops this month at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. The workshops will cover the details of buying a home. After completing the workshop, participants will be able to meet with a trained counselor to review their individual needs. Many lenders require completion of this workshop and counseling session. The workshops are scheduled for Feb. 11 and May 13 and run from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Cost is $65, which includes the eight-hour workshop, course materials and one-on-one counseling. The first 10 registrants for each workshop will receive a $25 gift card after completing the workshop and counseling session. Seating is limited and early registration is recommended at www.homesahead.org or by calling 800-974-1377.
The Upper Valley chapter of SCORE is offering a workshop on public speaking on Feb. 16, from 9 a.m.-noon, at 20 W. Park St., Lebanon, Suite 316, in the Citizens Bank Building. This workshop is designed to help develop the skills needed to prepare and deliver a speech or presentation. The workshop presenter will be Gary Horsman, who has been teaching public speaking and presentation skills workshops and programs more than 10 years. Cost is $40, two for $60. Veterans free. For more information or to reserve a spot, visit www.uppervalley.score.org, email score@valley.net or call 603-448-3491.
Items of interest to the local business community are published in the Business & Money section of the Sunday Valley News. Submissions may be sent by email to: biznotes@vnews.com (high-resolution photographs may be attached in .jpg format), or by mail to: Business Notes, c/o Sunday Valley News, P.O. Box 877, White River Junction, Vt. 05001. (Photographs cannot be returned unless accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope.) All items are subject to editing for clarity or space.