New Business

2012

May

Vermont Occupational Health Consultants

Andrew Conte announced the opening of Vermont Occupational Health Consultants Inc. in Milton. Conte is a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist. The company assists employers with improving the health and safety of their workforces through education, training, and medical monitoring. VTOHC also provides drug and alcohol program management services to businesses conducting mandated or drug-free workplace programs. 24 Stacy St.; (518) 637-9979; www.vtohc.com.

Kids RehabGYM

Sharon Gutwin, the founder of RehabGYM, announced the opening of Kids RehabGYM, a separate, fully-staffed pediatric facility that will lease space from RehabGYM. Features include a multi-level pool designed for children with special health needs and those in physical rehabilitation; a kids’ climbing wall; treatment rooms that allow for one-way observation; and various toys and equipment such as treadmills, ellipticals, and bikes scaled to their size. The organization is set up as a nonprofit. Ashley Bennett, DPT, the executive director, manages the day-to-day operations and provides physical therapy services. Attorney Mark Perkell is president of the board; Scott Benjamin, MD, a Certified Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine specialist at Fletcher Allen Health Care, vice president; Jessica Gooden of NBT Bank, treasurer; and Jan Morse, secretary. Also on the board are Jan Shanks of Cigna Health Care and Frederick Neu, interfaith chaplain at Fletcher Allen Health Care and co-founder of Good News Garage. 905 Roosevelt Highway, Suite 115, Colchester; 861-3600; www.kidsrehabgym.org.

Candylicious

Khuyen Tran and Tan Huynh of Milton, the operators of Sweet Thing Chocolates & Confections in Burlington, have opened Candylicious, 585-square-foot candy store, at University Mall in South Burlington. Candylicious is a bag-your-own shop, featuring popular favorites such as Jelly Bellies, Teenee Beanees, M&Ms, Gummies, licorice, and sugar-free options. The store also carries novelty candies such as candy buttons and Turkish taffy.

After Hours Taxi Service

Christina Swidrak launched After Hours Taxi Service serving Rutland County with a ribbon-cutting ceremony with the help of the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce. The service is open seven days a week. Pictured are Swidrak and Rutland Alderman William Notte. All hours Monday through Friday; Saturdays until 3:30 a.m.; Sundays until 2:30 a.m. 86 Fire Lane, 3B Coburn Court, North Clarendon; 282-6431; www.afterhourstaxiservice.com; afterhourstaxiservice@gmail.com . •

April

Fusion Taekwon-do

Leslie St. Pierre and Damir Alisa opened Fusion Taekwon-do LLC in the space formerly home to Snyder’s Academy of Taekwondo in Colchester. Serving students of all ages, Fusion works on building confidence, improving fitness, and improving overall wellness through the use of martial arts. 110 Elm Court; 860-6312; fusiontaekwondovt@gmail.com.

Liberty Tax

Corey Rovito and Jaime Jarvis opened a Liberty Tax franchise at 1 Rutland Plaza in downtown Rutland. Pictured at the grand opening, from left: Megan Lussier, preparer; Tara Stone, store manager; Amanda Bishop, preparer; Jarvis, owner; and Heather Lafountain, preparer.

The Angus Firm

Attorney David J. Angus II opened The Angus Firm PLC in South Burlington. The practice areas are business law, captive insurance, tax, estate planning, and probate and real estate. Angus is a native Vermonter and holds an LL.M. (master of laws) in taxation. 1 Kennedy Drive; 399-2260; dangus@angusfirm.com; www.angusfirm.com.

Prospect Appraisal

Alyth Hescock, Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, announced the formation of Prospect Appraisal LLC, a real estate appraisal and consulting company in Vergennes serving the Champlain Valley. The firm specializes in agricultural and commercial property. Services include property tax appeal, conservation easement appraisal, subdivision analysis, site layout and permitting assistance, and cash flow and expense forecasting. Hescock is a graduate of the University of Vermont with a degree in community development and applied economics. 999-9077; alyth@prospectappraisal.com; www.prospectappraisal.com. •

March

Cellular Sales

Cellular Sales, the nation’s largest Verizon premium wireless retailer, opened its first Vermont store at 1270 Shelburne Road in South Burlington. The store created eight sales positions. 859-0549; www.cellularsales.com.

Mama T’s Country Kitchen

Theresa House (aka Mama T) and her husband, Eric, announced the opening of Mama T’s Country Kitchen in Rutland. The idea for the restaurant grew out of the Houses’ volunteer work cooking for disaster-relief workers in the area following Hurricane Irene. They opened the restaurant with their daughter, Cymberlee Prencipe. The restaurant serves barbecue, including ribs, brisket, and chicken, plus sides and desserts. Open for lunch and dinner. Present were Tom Donahue, Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce; Joan Hill, Chamber; Cymberlee Prencipe; Theresa House; Alderman William Notte; Frank Smead; and Jerry Hanson. Rear: Paul Crossman; Evan House; Eric House; Matthew Prencipe; Glen Novak; and Matt Albertizzi. 254 South Main St.; 353-MAMA (6262).

Core Business Seminars

Marian Fritz announced the launching of Core Business Seminars, providing small classes on topics such as understanding and analyzing financial statements, building budgets, strategic planning, negotiating loans and choosing investments, effective marketing, and managing employee benefits. Fritz has a master of business administration with a concentration in finance and years of experience providing financial services to small-business owners and teaching finance and planning courses at the University of Vermont. Two class series, Core and Elective, are the backbone of the service, and a one-hour presentation on the fourth Friday of each month features expert speakers on various topics of interest to small businesses. 156 College St., 2nd Floor, Burlington; info@CoreBusinessSeminars.com; corebusinessseminars.com.

Left Bank Home & Garden

Trice Stratmann, a Burlington interior designer and visual artist, has opened Left Bank Home & Garden, a shop featuring a curated selection of new and vintage furniture, home accessories, lighting, original art, antiques, and seasonal garden items. Stratmann also offers interior design services through the store. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday,
10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Mondays by appointment. 127 Bank St., Burlington; 862-1001; www.leftbankhome.com.

Double Entry Bookkeeping

Diana Jones Sheltra, the owner of Double Entry Bookkeeping LLC of Essex Junction, announced the opening of a second office in Morrisville. Concurrently, Sheltra has founded the Lamoille County Business Network, with headquarters in the Morrisville office. 34 Pleasant St., Unit 2; 851-8015; fax: 851-8020; www.doubleentrybookkeeping.net.

Five Guys Burgers & Fries

Greg Vasey, franchisee, opened Vermont’s first Five Guys Burgers & Fries in the 1,875-square-foot former Blockbuster site in the Gateway Shopping Center on Shelburne Road in South Burlington. Ross Montgomery of Redstone represented Vasey. The landlord is Acadia Realty. •

February

Chelsea Green Publishing

Margo Baldwin, president and publisher of Chelsea Green Publishing of White River Junction, announced the company’s opening of an office in Burlington to house key communications, website, and author-events staff. Concurrent with the office opening was the addition of three employees. Justin Nisbet, formerly of Workman Publishing, is director of digital development; Shay Totten, longtime journalist and former editorial director at Chelsea Green, is communications director; and Melissa Jacobson, formerly of Quirk Books, is in-house book designer. 166 Battery St.; 295-6300; www.chelseagreen.com.

Vermont Food Venture Center

The Center for an Agricultural Economy opened the Vermont Food Venture Center in Hardwick. The center offers three shared-use, fully equipped and licensed commercial kitchens for rent by the hour. Equipment includes slicers, mixers, grinders, several types of ovens, tilt skillets, blast freezers, vacuum sealers, labelers, and other equipment to process and package almost any type of food. The center offers technical assistance for recipe development, business development, packaging selection, and distributor access. P.O. Box 422, 140 Junction Road; 472-5362; vfvc@hardwickagriculture.org.

Vermont Signature Sauces

Lance DelPriore, a Brattleboro chef, and Karen Whitman of Westminster West joined forces to launch Vermont Signature Sauces Inc., a gourmet finishing sauce company, in Saxtons River. The company has introduced four products created by DelPriore as a way to share DelPriore’s sauces with the public. Current sauces are Marchand De Vin, a French classic; a smooth-smokey Chipotle Cream; a sweet Marsala with Wild Mushrooms; and a cream sherry reduction with orange and tarragon they call Delman Sauce. Two more — a sweet Port Wine Sauce with a hint of cumin, and a Pomegranate Sauce — are in the works. 869-5000; www.vermontsignaturesauces.com; info@vermontsignaturesauces.com.

Mad River Food Hub

Entrepreneur Robin Morris, in collaboration with Mad River locavores, the Mad River Valley Planning District, local chef Joey Nagy, and other community members, has opened the Mad River Food Hub, a 3,200-square-foot shared meat and vegetable processing, storage, and distribution center. The Food Hub gives farmers, chefs, and value-added food producers in the Mad River Valley access to a state-licensed meat and vegetable processing facility with a high-efficiency cooler and freezer for pre- and post-processing, and a loading dock. Unit 1, Irasville Business Park,151 Mad River Canoe Road, Waitsfield; 496-3100; www.madriverfoodhub.com.

Panera Bread

Panera Bread cut the ribbon on its newest Vermont location at 241 South Main St. in Rutland. The location offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner; free Wi-Fi; a cozy fireplace; and a drive-through. Pictured, front row from left: Tom Donahue, Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce; Jerry Hansen, Chamber; William Notte, Rutland alderman; Marleen Cenate, Chamber; Jeff Cairns, Panera; Mayor Chris Louras; Glenday Hawley, Chamber; Frank Smead; and Jay Morel, Chamber. Back row: Dave Almond, Panera; Peter Fisk; Brennan Duffy, Rutland Redevelopment Authority; Dave Correll, Chamber; Glenn Novak; Roderick Pingree; Katherine Pingree; and Larry Walsh. •

January

Unleashed

Ace Holdings Unleashed Inc. leased a space in Essex Junction for a second retail location for Unleashed, a Richmond pet food and supply store. The landlord is McEwing Properties LLC. The Essex Junction location features pet food and supplies, a pet bakery, and a do-it-yourself wash station. Broker Esther Lotz announced the transaction. Pictured are Eric Beauregard of Unleashed and Veronica Beauregard of Unleashed. 34 Park St.; 879-3231; www.unleashedvt.com.

Maji Chien and Max Mackinnon

Pistou

Maji Chien and Max Mackinnon have opened Pistou, a small restaurant and specialty foods market, at the corner of Main and South Champlain streets in Burlington. They are serving casual food throughout the day with open seating, and a full-service dinner with more refined cuisine in a relaxed atmosphere. Chien and Mackinnon bought the restaurant assets, equipment, and leasehold improvements from Rob Minichiello, and executed a lease with the landlord. Peter Yee of Redstone represented Minichiello and procured the buyers. 61 Main St.; 540-1783; www.pistou-vt.com.

Vermont Works for Women

Vermont Works for Women announced the opening of an office in Barre, the organization’s second. The new space houses the girls’ programs, including those formerly run by Girls Move Mountains, and the transitional jobs program for central Vermont. Working in the Barre office are Nadine Budbill, director of girls’ programs; Kelly Walsh, girls’ program coordinator; and Sarah Loveless, transitional jobs program. 107 North Main St., 622-0400; www.vtworksforwomen.org. •