Windsor County at a glance

Vermont Business Magazine, Mar 01, 1998

Business Organizations:(1)

Connecticut River Development Corp 28 River St Windsor, VT 05089 802/674-9202 Executive VP: Win Townsend III

Green Mountain Economic Development Corp Box 246 White River Junction, VT 05001 802/295-3710 Executive Director: Jim Saudade

Precision Valley Development Corp 100 River St Springfield, VT 05156 802/885-2138 Business Manager: Bob Mitchell

Springfield Regional Development Corp PO Box 58 Springfield, VT 05156 802/8885-3061 Executive Director: Patricia Moulton Powden

Cavendish Chamber of Commerce Proctorsville, VT 05153 802/226-8012 President: Denise Natale

Chester Chamber of Commerce Box 623 Chester, VT 05143 802/875-2939 Executive Director: Barbara Nichols Web: www.chester-vt.com

Ludlow Area Chamber of Commerce PO Box 333 Ludlow, VT 05149 802/22-5930 Executive Director: Ed Eagan

Quechee Chamber of Commerce Box 106 Quechee, VT 05059 802/295-7900 Executive Director: Gayle Ottman

Springfield Chamber of Commerce 14 Clinton Street Springfield, VT 05156 802/885-2779 Executive VP Carol A Cole

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission The King Farm Woodstock, VT 05091 802/457-3188 Executive Director: Don Bourdon

Upper Valley Chamber of Commerce Box 697 White River Junction, VT 05001 802/295-6200 Executive Director: Pam Thompson

Woodstock Area Chamber of Commerce Box 486 Woodstock, VT 05091 802/457-3555. Executive Coordinator: Joan Sterner Web: www.woodstockvt.com

Largest Vermont-based Companies:(1)

Miltope Corp, Springfield, $45.5 million; Vermont Castings, Bethel, $58.5 million; GW Plastics, Bethel, $43 million; Okemo Mountain, Ludlow, $32.2 million; Clifford of Vermont, Bethel, $38 million; Cone-Blanchard, Windsor, $22 million; King Arthur Flour, Norwich, $19.2 million; Dufresne-Henry, Springfield, $17.5 million; Earth Brothers, Proctorsville, $15 million; Logic Associates, White River Junction, $15 million; Bethel Mills, Bethel, $8.5 million; Inner Traditions International, Rochester, $6.1 million; Chips & Bits, Rochester, $5.1 million: Ivek, North Springfield, $5.1 million; Blanchard & Blanchard, Norwich, $5 million; Springfield Printing, $5 million; Ennis Construction, Ascutney, $3.2 million; Neil H Daniels, Ascutney, $3 million.

Largest Employers:(1)

VA Medical Center, White River Junction, 800; Vermont USA Machine Tool Group, 600; Vermont Castings, Bethel, 384; GW Plastics, 413; Springfield Hospital, 237; Newsbank Inc, Chester, 219; Simon Pearce, Quechee, 200; Dufresne-Henry, 215; Mt Ascutney Hospital, Ascutney, 159; Luzenac America Inc, Windsor, 100; Clifford of Vermont, 106; Dubois & King, 111; Lovejoy Tool, Springfield, 84; Earth Brothers, 92; King Arthur, 75; Chips & Bits, 50.

Census(2):

Population --53,960; Average Wage -- $22,857, five-year change 4.3 percent (state, $22,963, five-year change 3.3 percent).

Employment:(4) (December 1997)

Springfield Area Labor Market Data Labor Force, 10,500; Employed, 10,100; Unemployed, 450; Rate, 4.1%. December 1996 rate, 4.6%. Hartford-Lebanon, NH, Labor Market Area Data -- Labor Force, 48,900; Employed, 48,150; Unemployed, 750; Rate, 1.5, December 1996 rate, 1.9%.

Vermont Unemployment Rate, 3.6%, December 1996 ate, 4.2%

SBA Lending FY 1997:(5) Total loans, 26; value, $4,727,500; top five recipients: Posda Corp, $900,000; Happy Trails Motel, $848,000; Hartland General Store, $434,000; Hershey Insurance Services, $270,000; T&J's Yesteryear, $252,500.

Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Region FAST FACTS:(6)

The settlement of the region began after the 1760s, following the end of the French and Indian War. The population peaked in the early 1900s and then declined, as the opening of the Erie Canal and other modes of transportation opened up agricultural regions in New York and Ohio, as well as migratory opportunities. However, in the 1850s, sheep raising flourished, but again that industry lost out to better transportation and production westward.

In the 1840s, the Central Vermont Railroad extended lines through the White River Valley and by the 1870s, several short line railroads were operating in the region. In the 1920s, the highways again changed transportation patterns in the region, with the development of Routes 4 and 5. Then again in the 1960s and '70s, the construction and completion of Interstates 89 and 91 changed the complexion of the economic and geographic landscape of the region.

The population of the region in the 1990 Census was 33,616, compared to 30,015 in 1980. an increase of 12 percent; the state's population increased by 10 percent during that time. The median household income for the region was $30,560.

The economy, as broken down by occupation, reveals that 26 percent of the workforce were engaged in Technical-Sales-Administration; 26 percent were in Managerial-Professional; 14 percent in Operators-Fabrication-Laborers; 14 percent in Precision-Products/Crafts/Repair; 14 percent in Service Occupations; and 6 percent Farming-Forestry-Fishing, Travel and tourism related occupations are expected to increase through the rest of the decade. Mirroring the rest of Vermont, the region's white collar jobs have increased, while blue collar jobs have decreased. Vermont Technical College in Randolph and Vermont Law School in South Royalton are the focuses of higher education in the region. Fifty-four percent of the workforce, of 10,486, were employed by private businesses; another 7 percent or 1,399 work for non-profit organizations; 21 percent are self-employed, the remaining 18 percent work in government.