Milne Sells Majority Stake in Travel Firm
West Lebanon — Milne Travel, the Barre, Vt.-based travel agency owned by former Vermont GOP gubernatorial candidate Scott Milne, has sold a controlling stake in the company to the New York-based travel management giant Altour International Inc. Milne said the “business partnership” will provide Milne Travel, which has offices in four states, with a wider reach to compete for corporate accounts in addition to savings by tapping into...
Huge Bid for Starwood Hotels Puts Chinese Firm in Spotlight
Beijing — A $14 billion bid for Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide Inc. surfaced Monday, putting a spotlight on Chinese firm Anbang Insurance Group and complicating a plan to meld Starwood and Marriott International Inc. into the largest hotel company. Starwood told Marriott on Friday that it received an unsolicited offer from a consortium led by Anbang, according to a statement released Monday by Marriott. Starwood confirmed that...
Lebanon-Based Global Forest Partners Alleges $9 Million Theft
Lebanon — Allegations that a Guatemalan businessman stole $9 million from a giant pension fund and other investors in a Central American teak plantation project organized by an Upper Valley financial manager have led to federal criminal charges and a civil lawsuit in Grafton Superior Court that names a politically influential California entrepreneur as a defendant. A criminal complaint filed under seal in U.S. District Court in...
Facebook Sets Sights on Workplace
Menlo Park, Calif. — What’s taboo in some workplaces is just business for Stella & Dot employees, who use Facebook to connect with thousands of stylists selling the company’s jewelry and fashion accessories. So when Facebook approached the California company this year about testing a separate version of the social network, called “Facebook at Work,” Stella & Dot jumped on board, joining more than 100 other businesses. “There...
Business Notes: Oct. 18, 2015
Manchester — A device developed by Lebanon-based FreshAir Sensor Corp. has been named one of nine semifinalists for the New Hampshire High Tech Council’s 10th annual Product of the Year Award. The FreshAir Sensor-Plug In can detect airborne evidence of nicotine or marijuana smoke and other chemicals in rooms and other enclosed spaces and communicates alerts via Wi-Fi back to the customer. It allows hotels, schools, property managers,...
