Addison County economic report

Vermont Business Magazine, Sep 01, 1998

Buonincontro said they started a year ago and have a little over two dozen clients in Vermont, including Middlebury College. Harbor Industries, Tivoli, GW Plastics, and the Simon Pearce glass works. Eventually, the same service will be offered to out-of-state clients, he said.

In the Vergennes area, the BF Goodrich Integrated Aircraft Systems plant continues to be a mainstay, with employment holding steady of about 680, according to employment manager Alan Beebe. The future looks good, because after a slow period in the early '90s, the aircraft industry is picking up, and "we are poised for growth."

"We certainly seek to add to our base of engineers," Beebe said. "We are developing an aircraft mechanical diagnostic system that holds a lot of promise for us."

Lately, that company has been seconded as a major employer by Country Home Products, which now employs about 240 people in one of the Vergennes buildings formerly used by Simmonds Precision. Makers of the widely advertised and very popular DR Trimmer mower, as well as several other items in the DR line, they are also very town-oriented and generous with donations and free services, according to Liz Markowski, a co-president of the Vergennes Area Chamber of Commerce.

Joseph Perrotto, their chief operating officer, said the company moved part of their operations from Charlotte (where there are still about 60 employees) in the spring of 1996, to help with their surging growth. In 1992, the company that former Garden Way founder Lyman Wood helped create in the early 1980s only employed 35 people, he said. (The DR stands for Dick Raymond, a well-known Vermont gardener author and adviser.)

Perrotto said his factory showroom in Vergennes has become one of the area's attractions, since many of their customers are retired people and some of them want to "kick the tires" to be sure of the durability of the equipment they will be purchasing. Couples will plan a trip to Vermont around a visit to showroom, coming from all around the Northeast, he said -- adding money to the area economy in the process.

That's not the only Addison County example of manufacturing doubling as tourism. In Middlebury, Otter Creek Brewing and Vermont Country Soap, both in the Exchange Street industrial area, help build enthusiasm for their popular products by welcoming off-the-street visitors and offering low-cost or free samples. Passengers from the Sugarbush Express tourist train have found these to be destinations that can be taken in during the time allotted for a noon-hour stop.

The Bread Loaf Construction Company of Middlebury is gone -- having changed its name to Bread Loaf Corporation: Planners, Architects & Builders. Steve Harris, their spokesperson, said the change came partly to celebrate their 30th anniversary, but mainly to reflect the fact that they do far more than put up buildings for their clients.

Seeking to establish long-term relationships rather join in the construction industry's sometimes cutthroat bidding wars, Bread Loaf has built a strong list of connections. Harris said their recent projects include work for Landmark College in Putney; Nastech and the Bennington Museum in Bennington; Gifford Hospital in Randolph; Burton Snowboards in Burlington; Mack Molding in Arlington; and the Littleton Coin Co in Littleton, NH.