Company News: August 2015
Vital Communities has launched a new marketing campaign designed to make it easier to find, buy and prepare foods from Upper Valley farms. Valley Farm Fresh includes an improved, mobile-friendly Valley Food & Farm Guide, a calendar of farm-related events, and recipes and cooking tips geared toward the region’s foods. The information is available at ValleyFarmFresh.org. “Our recent in-depth market assessment revealed that farms want to sell more product direct to consumers, while consumers need better resources to help them find and use local foods,” Valley Food & Farm manager Becka Warren said in a recent news release. “The new campaign works toward both of those goals.” Supported through a grant from the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program, it features online resources, Facebook and Instagram outreach, advertisements and recipes and information for farmers to share at their farmstands and markets.
Hobbies ‘N’ Stuff in the Glen Road Plaza in West Lebanon has expanded into the adjacent space that formerly housed Budget Print, which has moved to another building in the plaza. The expansion was done to make the store interactive, “which is the wave of the future,” said CEO A.J. Maranville Jr. The 1,400-square-foot addition brought the store up to a total of 3,000 square feet, making room for hands-on items, including a flight simulator, slot car set and working Lionel train layout. It also will allow for increased inventory for both the hobby store and Valley Art Supplies, which is located in the same space. The store employs four people.
The Barton Insurance Agency, which has offices in New London and Contoocook, N.H., has received an Award of Excellence from Safeco Insurance. Fewer than 5 percent of insurance agents who sell Safeco Insurance personal insurance policies receive this award, the company said in a news release. “(W)e are thrilled that we have been recognized with one of the company’s top honors,” Barton Insurance Agency President Benjamin Barton said in the release.
Jake’s South Street Market has opened at 181 South St., in Springfield, Vt. Owners Sam Harvey, Erin Crawford Harvey, Kevin Fratini and Meghan Fratini purchased the market six months ago and have been updating the space and adding new food offerings. The market is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends. The telephone number is 802-885-5488.
WallGoldfinger, the Randolph-based designer and manufacturer of high-end corporate furniture, has named a Toronto native as its newest vice president of sales. Gerry Gatch, of Burlington, joined WallGoldfinger after working at Amoskeag Woodworking in Fairfax, Vt., as a designer, project manager and in technical sales. He previously spent more than two decades with contract furniture dealer Meadows Office Interiors in New York City and was a founding partner of ManesSpace. He holds an industrial design degree from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto.
DuBois & King consulting engineers has hired Jonathan Ashley, of Whiting, Vt., as a senior civil/environmental engineer. Ashley has 20 years of professional experience, including site development, brownfield and hazardous site remediation, permitting and engineering services for roadways, slope stability, stormwater, and water and sewer projects throughout Vermont and New York. He works out of the firm’s Randolph office.
THE League of NH Craftsmen’s 82nd annual fair, which runs from Aug. 1-9 at the Mount Sunapee Resort in Newbury, N.H., will feature more than 200 booths featuring pottery, hand-blown glass, framed prints, bowls, scarves, handcrafted jewelry and more created by more than 350 crafters. This year’s fair will feature daily craft demonstrations and workshops, exhibitions, free tours and seminars. The fair will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, rain or shine. Admission is $12 for adults and $10 for seniors, students, active duty military (with ID). Admission is free for children 12 and younger. Parking is free. For a full schedule of events,and to purchase tickets online, visit http://www.nhcrafts.org. For more information, call 603-224-3375 or email nhleague@nhcrafts.org.
Items of interest to the local business community are published in the Business & Money section of the Sunday Valley News, and are also collected on the Company News page of Enterprise. Email submissions to: biznotes@vnews.com. All items are subject to editing.
