UPS, DOWNS and OUTS

Vermont Business Magazine, Jan 01, 2004 by Barna, Ed

- Bethel-based Clifford of Vermont was sold to Power & Telephone Supply Co of Memphis, TN. Clifford expected to stay in Vermont and retain its employees.

- Sharon-based Huttig Building Products said its manufacturing jobs would be sent to Manchester, NH, over the next 16 months, meaning the loss of half its 40 jobs. Sales and office personnel would be retained.

- WinterQuest, LLC of Stowe, producer of the Tubbs and Atlas snowshoe lines, was purchased by major sporting goods company K2, Inc,

- Snowboard maker Burton Corp announced its third round of Vermont job cuts in 18 months, this time to consolidate work overseas.

- In Springfield, the Parks & Woolson Machine Co closed, after more than 175 years of operations..

- Danish sportswear maker Hummel opened an office in Burlington.

November 2003:

- Colchester-based Homebound Mortgage cut 23 jobs, across all departments, a 6 percent decrease in their payroll.

- Relax-R Corp closed its Milton plant, putting 22 people out of work, as part of consolidating its distribution in Canada.

December 2003:

- The Wyeth Nutritionals plant in Georgia, which had laid off 75 in 2002, said it would cut another 64 positions, leaving 220 workers.

- The Infineon Technologies North America Corp memory design center in Williston, already employing nearly five times as many people as it did when it opened in 2001, said 2004 would bring a $9 million, 10,000-square-foot addition and 30 more positions.

- US Tsubaki announced plans to close its Bennington plant, eliminating 70 jobs.

- Cornell Trading in Burlington will consolidate all three of its Vermont warehouses and move 60 jobs to a new location in Plattsburgh, NY, at the former Air Force base. - The formation of the Bennington Microtechnology Center was announced. It will be a national center devoted to test production of microtechnology devices. The center will be funded by a $3.5 million US Office of Naval Research fund for microsystems development.

- A $730,000 Vermont Community Development Block Grant for the town of Hancock will help Vermont Plywood acquire the Chesapeake Hardwood Mill and save 60 manufacturing jobs.