Central VT Potential

It is places like Central VT that probably hold some of the best potential for attracting those professionals and entrepreneurs who are looking at getting out the “rat race”. It is a trend that I’m increasingly seeing as I travel around the USA in my quest to tour and find the best agurbs® around the country.

I was in Montpelier, one of my agurbs®, last week doing a half day program for the Central VT ED Corporation. Richard Angney, head of the group gave me a wonderful tour both before and after my talk. Governor Jim Douglas and several ED people from the state were in attendance.

Montpelier is the smallest state capital in the country, with a population of 8,035. Richard also let me know that, “It’s the only state capital that doesn’t have a McDonalds.” It has a wonderful downtown set in the bottom of a valley with rolling hills surrounding the town. The New England Culinary Institute is also a wonderful asset, helping to make Montpelier one of the most restaurant heavy towns that I’ve visited.

Area towns within the Central VT ED area boast such entrepreneurial companies as Rock of Ages (largest granite headstone company); Ben & Jerry’s; Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; Cabot Creamery; and other less well know firms. There was a great deal of interest expressed at my presentation of how to find new entrepreneurial companies as these older companies are often bought by out-of-state firms, which move key positions out of VT. More on one of those new entrepreneurs tomorrow.