New Business

2000

December

Flip Brown has established Business Culture Consultants in Burlington. His business offers customized consulting, training, intervention and follow-up services addressing employment issues in the workplace. Brown holds a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Antioch New England Graduate School. He is licensed by the state as a psychologist and has extensive business experience. He has provided employment consulting services to Ben & Jerry’s, Burton Snowboards, Vermont Teddy Bear Co. and others. 658-4111.

Serving American and Bosnian traditional cuisine, Bosana Restaurant and Cafe opened at 169-171 Church St. in Burlington. 863-3207.

Burlington Futon Co. has opened a retail store, The Burlington Fabric Co. at 404 Pine St. in Burlington. The store offers a broad range of fabrics from basic prints to designer linens. It also sells curtain rods, pillow inserts, zippers, trim and foam. Store hours are Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm. 660-3438.

Niagara Mohawk Energy of Syracuse, N.Y. has opened an office at 300 Cornerstone Drive in Williston for its Distributed Power Group. The unit works with businesses and industries to provide them with the capacity to generate their own power. John Pifer of Essex Junction will lead the group . He is a former engineer with Vermont Gas Systems. 872-0705.

November

Chris Stecher founded Stecher Design Group, an advertising, marketing, public relations and new media firm, at 215 College St., Burlington. The business specializes in e-marketing and commerce. Other staff members are Paul Tenney, handling operations and public relations; art director Cara Costello; and e-marketing specialist Loren Tindall. (802) 846-3734. www.stecherdesign.com

NewSmile Dental Centers, LC has announced the launch of www.newsmile.com to serve the needs of the cosmetic dentistry community. NewSmile offers a professional side to provide tools for cosmetics dentists, and a consumer side to inform the public. NewSmile.com is a partnership between Christian Kammer, DDS, and Interactive Dental Marketing Services, LC.

Global Works Systems Inc., a San Francisco, Calif., provider of consulting and software solutions for the healthcare industry, opened an office in Suite 1 at 70 Church St., Burlington. The business reconfigures, customizes and restructures business processes for managed-care organizations, hospitals, physician groups and educational facilities. It works predominantly with the IDX Systems Corp. user community. Jeff Sibley is chief operating officer in San Francisco; Bill Bresee is president, working in Burlington. (802) 846-2550. www.global-works.com

Nat Criss, Erick Barbic and James Brunger founded Groov Marketing at 136 W. Canal St., Winooski. The full-service agency focuses on creative development to enhance recognition of identities, goods and services. Services include graphic design, Web site design, digital email video and Web site video streaming. Criss, who formerly worked for Phish merchandise, is president. Barbic is creative director; he worked for Shipecommerce.com Brunger, former manager of the Amigo's restaurant group, is vice president and CFO. Reagan Akersten was hired as art director; he was with Jager DiPaola Kemp Design in Burlington. (802) 654-7770. www.groovmarketing.com

Karen S. Cruickshank opened The Wellness Wagon, a mobile personal training program, at 64 Bonanza Park, Colchester. The business specializes in fitness training for older adults who wish to start and maintain a customized exercise program in their homes. Cruickshank is a certified personal trainer with the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Senior Fitness Association. She has worked in the health and fitness field 10 years and developed the senior program at Twin Oaks Sports and Fitness. (802) 658-4689. kcruic8627@aol.com

October

Troy Fanton established Burlington On-site Massage at 252 Appletree Point Road, Burlington. Fanton provides 15-minute massages at business sites using an ergonomically designed chair. Fanton is a graduate of the Massage Institute of New England and a member of the AMTA. He worked at the Ironman in Lake Placid, N.Y. (802) 658-5547.

David Seaver has established David Seaver Photography at 576 Whalley Road, Charlotte. Seaver graduated from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in 1999 with a degree in studio art. He has shot photos for Vermont Magazine, Middlebury College, Williamson Publishing and others. (802) 425-2090. (802) 355-3728 (mobile). davidseaver@hotmail.com

Burlington law firm Paul, Frank & Collins Inc. changed its name to Paul, Frank & Collins, A Professional Corporation. The firm opened an office in Plattsburgh, N.Y., to meet demand for litigation and commercial services. John T. Sartore, Robert G. Cain, Christopher J. McVeigh, David Borsykowsky and David J. Spielman are licensed to handle litigation matters in New York. P.O. Box 3011. (518) 563-4595.

September

First Burlington Financial Services has opened in the second floor of the Smith Building at 156 College St., Burlington. The firm is a full-service financial services company concentrating on building wealth for individuals, businesses and non-profit organizations. Services include asset management, mutual funds, general securities, stocks, bonds, options, variable annuities and life insurance as well as retirement and profit sharing programs. Carl J. Garbelotti is president; Harold R. Westover II is executive vice president. Their combined experience is more than 35 years in the consulting and financial services fields. (802) 658-6606. (802) 658-6605 (fax). garbo@together.net.

The Children's Place of Secaucus, N.J., opened its first Vermont store in University Mall in South Burlington. The 4,853-square-foot store offers boys' and girls' clothing for ages newborn to 12 years. The Children's Place operates more than 350 stores across the country. Alyssa Zelesky is store manager. (802) 863-3878. www.childrensplace.com

More than 23 businesses involved in the production of textile products established the Vermont Textile Products Association. Member businesses include Vermont-based businesses and international companies with Vermont divisions. The association promotes the image of the textile industry in the state, improves education, addresses issues identified by the group and seeks partnering opportunities. The board of directors is president James Bruce, Geiger of Austria Inc.; vice president C.E. Brandstetter, Bogner of America Inc.; vice president Kimberly Johnson, JKYM Textile Arts; treasurer Barry Chouinard, Barry T. Chouinard Inc.; and secretary Cathy Carlisle, Vermont Teddy Bear Co. Other directors are Al Diem, Champion Jogbra; Constance St. George, Geiger of Austria; Joel Howard, Samadhi Cushions; Shelley Mathias, Samii Clothes; Diane Rooney, Classic Stitching; and Kathleen Straube, Vermont Teddy Bear Co. P.O. Box 230, Northfield. (802) 388-3156. www.vermonttextileproducts.org

Securities broker-dealer and registered investment adviser Windham Financial Services Inc. of Burlington opened an office in North Scituate, Mass. Michael F. O'Connor was appointed to manage the facility. O'Connor joined the firm in 1995 after working for Paine Webber.

A.N. Deringer Inc. of St. Albans has established an office at 73 Southwoods Parkway in Atlanta, Ga. The office, which includes a warehousing and distribution facility, serves importers and exporters using Hartsfield airport. Beth Mince has joined as Atlanta branch manager.

August

PaineWebber Inc. opened an office at Court Street Marketplace, 18 Creek Road, Middlebury. Timothy W. OÕBrien is divisional vice president at the new location. The Middlebury office employs two financial advisors and offers PaineWebberÕs full line of investment products and services. (802) 382-9450. (800) 564-1265.

Prentiss Dwinell has established Full Circle Image of Northern Vermont at 78 Hillside Drive, Plainfield. The business is a franchise of Full Circle Image, a remanufactured printer products and services business in Rochester, Minn. Dwinell provides pickup and delivery of recycled toner and ink jet cartridges and printer ribbons to businesses in Grand Isle, Franklin, Orleans, Essex, Caledonia, Lamoille, Chittenden and Washington counties. Dwinell was director of a three-county alcohol and drug rehabilitation program in the Northeast Kingdom for 12 years. Prior to establishing the business he sold granite for monuments and building material. (800) 584-7244. (802) 454-1421 (fax). (800) 280-2076 (fax). prentissd@globalnetisp.net.

South Burlington Web hosting company Burlee.com has opened an office in Sydney, Australia. The new location coincides with a joint venture with TurnAround Solutions PTY LTD, a software and Web development company in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. William J. Maris is CEO.

July

Steven L'Heureux has established The Mac Doctor. The business offers support and service of Apple computers through northern and central Vermont. L'Heureux operated the business part-time for four years, serving mostly residential customers; he has expanded to full-time to focus on business clients. On-site services include operating system and memory upgrades, networking, software glitch resolution, Internet set-up and equipment recommendations. Available seven days a week. steve@themacdoc.com. (802) 453-5570.

Sherry Hall opened Sophistications, a personal shopping service for Burlington and surrounding areas, at 18 Edgewood Drive, Colchester. The business provides shopping services to busy business people for career and casual wardrobes, holiday and special event purchases, corporate gifts, image makeovers, furniture and interior design consulting and concierge services. (802) 373-9015. sophistications@aol.com

Drs. Lynn Pellerin and Gerhild Bjornson established The Health Place at 1 Market Place, the Red Mall, in Essex Junction. Pellerin practiced in Burlington; Bjornson relocated from the Medical Office Building in Colchester. The business offers family, general and internal medicine services. Walk-in hours are Monday through Friday, 8 to 9 a.m., some evening hours and Saturdays. (802) 878-7878.

June

Courtyard by Marriott, Burlington opened in Hillside East Office Park, 177 Hurricane Lane, Williston. The 90-room facility is managed by New Castle Hotels, a hotel ownership and management company in Shelton, Conn., which owns the hotel with Hillside Properties of Shelburne and the Widewaters Group of DeWitt, N.Y., under the corporate name Hurricane Hotels LLC. The hotel features a dining area in the main lobby, a 900-square-foot meeting room, exercise room, and indoor swimming pool. Don Urbahn is general manager; Alan Hebert is director of sales.

Jon Guyette and Allen Nassif established Northern Benefit Consultants Ltd. The company reviews and designs medical, dental, life and disability insurance programs for business clients of all sizes. Guyette was a senior account executive at Kaiser Permanente; Nassif was regional director of sales for Kaiser Permanente. Carolyn Poitras was hired as senior account executive. Poitras was an account manager at Kaiser Permanente. (802) 777-3038. (802) 872-7040. P.O. Box 702, Colchester, 05446.

Farley Blackman founded StrategIM Corp. at 110 Main St., Burlington, to provide information technology (IT) consulting and remote software development services. The company specializes in e-business consulting, software implementations, IT staffing, and graphic design. Blackman, president/CEO, is former director of offshore development for General Electric Co., where he pioneered large-scale, offshore software development by creating the world's largest offshore development program of 3,500 programmers on three continents. Other personnel include: Tim Norton, vice president, remote development; Arik Levy, vice president, technology; Tiffany Maurycy, vice president, consulting; John Northrop, director, operations; and Gregory O. Peyser, director, finance. The company leased 6,000 square feet on the fourth floor of Fairchild Square. Steve Donahue of Pomerleau Real Estate was the leasing broker. Mary Farrell of Redstone Commercial Group assisted in the lease. (802) 846-2200. (802) 846-2205 (fax). www.strategim.com

Federico E. Rodriguez founded Transverbal Translations in Essex Junction to provide English/Spanish translation and on-site interpreting services to help businesses access Spanish language markets. Rodriguez is a native Spanish-speaking professional with 15 years' experience as a translator/interpreter. He is an editor and consultant for ZDnet Spanish market Web sites published by Ziff Davis. www.transverbal.com contact@transverbal.com (802) 878-9302.

Westport Broadcasting of Westport, N.Y., and Blue Sky Broadcasting in Vergennes have put WCLX-FM on the air at 102.5. Blue Sky Broadcasting operates the album rock station through a local marketing agreement with owner/licensee Westport Broadcasting. The station's transmitter is in Westport; offices and studios are in Vergennes. Russ Kinsley is general manager/program director. Kinsley has been involved with a number of Vermont radio stations and most recently acted as a broadcasting consultant and worked at WBVT-TV. Diane Desmond is music director. Desmond is a part-time announcer at Vermont Public Radio. P.O. Box 310, Vergennes. (802) 759-4000. (888) 315-9109. wclx@together.net.

Karen Cayer and Grace Johnstone have established Vermont Community Network Inc., dba VermontLink.Net and Vermont Net Sales, at 54 School Circle, East Hardwick. VermontLink.Net is an Internet and Web service provider; Vermont Net Sales offers networking and programming assistance, computer sales, service and support. Cayer, president, was a counselor for 15 years before becoming involved with computers. She and Johnson also own Hardwick Chiropractic at the same location. 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays. (802) 472-5732. www.vtlink.net. www.vtnetsales.com

Michaels Stores Inc. of Irving, Texas, opened a Michaels store in the Staples Plaza Shopping Center on Williston Road, South Burlington. The 26,000-square-foot store offers basic and seasonal crafts and floral, art supplies, needle crafts, ribbon, children's crafts, books and magazines for crafters and home decorators. Michaels also offers custom floral design and framing. Michaels Stores owns and operates 585 Michaels stores in 47 states, Canada and Puerto Rico, and 92 Aaron Brothers stores mostly on the West Coast. Ken Cillo is manager of the South Burlington location. Steve Donahue of Pomerleau Real Estate represented Atlantic Retail Properties with the lease. (802) 864-5500.

May

Integrated communication provider Lightship Telecom has entered the Vermont market with the activation of voice and ATM switches in downtown Burlington. The Nashua, N.H., company provides high-speed, digital Internet access; and local and long-distance telephone calling to businesses in the Rutland, Burlington, Barre and Montpelier areas. Lightship operates in New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, and Vermont, and plans to expand into New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware by the end of the year. Kevin O'Hare is president/CEO. Lightship maintains a sales office at 400 Cornerstone Drive, Taft Corners Village Center, Williston. Vermont sales manager Zoltan Keve was CEO/president of Network Services Corp. Before that, Keve was sales director for Long Distance North and an account executive with Burlington Telephone. Rick Royer, executive vice president of sales, was vice president of sales with Long Distance North and president of his consulting practice, Sales and More Sales. Rob Lencke, formerly of Cellular One and Long Distance North, is director of network services. Sales representatives include Chris Sullivan, Bob Davison, Steve Dodge, Peter Kingston, and Nelleke Rosenthal. (802) 288-1000. (877) 548-7447. www.lightship.net.

Dave Drekter and Tim McEwen founded NewLevel Computing Inc. d/b/a Iocus Computing in Suite 3 at 6971 Main St., Waitsfield. The company's "e-store" product provides a means for businesses and individuals to sell products and services on the Internet for $79.95 a month. Iocus also provides live, locally based support for e-store; help getting listed with search engines; banner advertising and swaps; and site promotion once the store is online. Drekter, CEO, was president of audio visual production company On-Site Productions Inc. in Waitsfield from 1982 to 1999. McEwen, vice president, was with Universal Micro Systems from 1997 to '99. Before that he founded HyperDesign 6, a Web hosting and design company. www.iocus.com staff@iocus.com (802) 496-2940. (800) 709-6020.

HomeGoods Inc., a subsidiary of TJX Companies Inc. of Framingham, Mass., opened a 25,000-square-foot store at University Mall, 215 Dorset St., South Burlington. HomeGoods carries brand name home fashions, accessories and gifts. Products include bedding, bath products, home decor, housewares, accent pieces, and seasonal items. The South Burlington location is the company's first Vermont store. TJX also owns T.J. Maxx, Marshalls and A.J. Wright. Jerry Rossi is HomeGoods president. 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday. (802) 864-6398.

Bobbe Maynes and Beverly Watson have established Lang House in a restored 1881 Eastlake Victorian mansion at 360 Main St., Burlington. The nine-room bed and breakfast hosts corporate and vacationing guests, including small business meetings and social gatherings. Rates range from $115 to $200 a night. The building served as offices for Lang Associates Real Estate since the 1970s. Barbara Poirier of Lang Commercial Real Estate represented the seller of the building, Nancy E. Lang Revocable Trust. Maynes, former Vermont tourism commissioner, is part owner of Heart of the Village Inn in Shelburne and is a tourism industry consultant. Watson is part owner of Isabel's restaurant and catering, and owns and operates Willard Street Inn with her husband. She also manages Whitecaps at the Boathouse and Grand Isle Lake House. (802) 652-2500. (877) 919-9799. (802) 651-8717 (fax). innkeeper@langhouse.com www.langhouse.com

Renewable Energy Vermont has been formed to promote the use of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, hydro and biomass. The following people were elected officers at the first meeting of the association: chairman David Blittersdorf, NRG Systems Inc.; vice chairman Jeffrey Wolfe, Global Resource Options, LLC; treasurer Matthew Rubin, Vermont Independent Power Producers Association; and secretary Leigh Seddon, Solar Works Inc. Andrew Perchlik is executive director. The association plans to meet four times a year and will focus on statewide renewable energy issues and legislation. P.O. Box 1036, Montpelier. (802) 229-0099. info@revermont.org.

Chip Schlegel founded Petra Cliffs Climbing Center & Mountaineering School at 105 Briggs St., Burlington. The indoor climbing gym offers a variety of programs including instruction, a kids' club, women's nights and group rates. The company also operates the Summer Mountain Adventure Training Camp (SumMAT Camp), consisting of a day camp and one- and two-week, off-site, rock climbing expeditions. The one-week day camp program offers indoor and outdoor rock climbing, ropes courses, whitewater rafting, canoeing and caving. Schlegel has been running rock climbing and mountaineering programs since November. He was a majority owner of Burlington Rock Gym, an indoor rock climbing facility in Essex Junction. Before that he was co-owner of Burlington delivery service Lightning Couriers. (802) 65-PETRA (657-3872). info@petracliffs.com www.petracliffs.com

April

John McConnell and Suzi Lynch established the Vermont Liberty Tea Co., LLP at R.R. 2 Box 3112, Northfield. The company manufactures five herbal blends and distributes them through wholesale and retail channels. McConnell is former vice president of marketing and product development of a national healthcare consulting firm. Lynch is owner/operator of the Village Hair Co. in Moretown. 793-9559. 496-2239 (fax).

March

President/CEO Daniel F. Casey announced the Pomerleau Agency, an affiliate of Chittenden Bank, opened an office at 87 West St., Rutland. Cort Jones has joined the firm as vice president. Jones was an account executive with Kinney, Pike, Bell & Conner in Rutland. Claire Wilber has become a customer service representative working in the new office. Wilber was a customer service representative with the Hull Maynard Agency in Rutland. Pomerleau also has offices in West Springfield and Worcester, Mass., and Burlington. (802) 770-6724.

everbank.com is open for public transactions. CustomerOne Financial Network Inc. (C1FN) was founded in 1998 to manage online banking services for everbank.com, a division of Wilmington Savings Fund Society, FSB, a $1.8 billion FDIC-insured federal savings bank. everbank.com delivers banking services to consumers in 50 states 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the Internet, phone, mail and ATM. C1FN's Vermont office provides products and marketing support for everbank.com; it's headed by Robert Foregger. 188 S. Main St., Stowe. (802) 253-4681, Ext. 12. (802) 253-8703 (fax).

Andrea Green has established Global Success Internet Advertising at 220 Quarry Hill Road, Barre. The business contracts with an online mall to place businesses on the World Wide Web. Services include Web site design, banner advertising, classified ads, domain names, and site promotion. Green works as a Reach-Up resource coordinator with the Family Center of Washington County in Montpelier. gsadvertising.homestead.com/gs.html. gsadvertising@cs.com (802) 479-0747.

A group of Vermonters formed the Vermont Brain Injury Association, a non-profit organization to improve the quality of life for brain injury survivors and their families. Board members and officers elected at a meeting in Killington were executive director Christopher Pratt, chairman Edward A. Haas, vice chairman/coordinator of legal affairs Robert B. Luce, treasurer Aileen Murphy, and secretaries Steve and Grace Cothalis. Initial directors include Barbara Winters, Jim Vhynak and Kim Mann. The organization is affiliated with the National Brain Injury Association in Washington, D.C. 85 Prim Road, Suite 402, Colchester. (802) 658-5600. (802) 658-5808 (fax). vtbia@aol.com

February

Associates in Physical and Occupational Therapy Inc. opened a site at The Brickyard, 87 Main St., Essex Junction. The non-profit organization provides physical and occupational therapy services, consulting, education and research, and has seven offices in Chittenden and Grand Isle counties. 878-5767. 878-9729 (fax).

Reiki master Cece Wick has established Sunrise Reiki Center at 205 Dorset St., South Burlington. The business provides hands-on healing to reduce stress, relieve pain and symptoms of illness, and promote health. Wick, also an interfaith minister, provides non-denominational wedding ceremonies under the business name Weddings With Heart. 862-0449.

Marin Environmental Inc. opened its fifth office in Wakefield, Mass. The environmental company is based in Haddam, Conn., and has an office in Colchester.

Founder Harrison Lebowitz announced Snow Farm Vineyards and Winery in South Hero opened a tasting area in the Green Mountain Chocolate and Cabot Annex on Vermont 100, Waterbury. Tasters can sample and purchase wines the business produces in South Hero. Tastings are $1; the fee is applied to any purchase. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. 244-7118.

Oil change and service repair shop Oil 'n Go opened a location at 1691 Shelburne Road, South Burlington, next to Shearer Chevrolet. The business also operates a shop at 2 David Drive, Essex Junction. 951-0290.

Kathleen C. Lawson has established Kathleen's Administrative Services at 13 Northview Drive, Burlington. The business offers word processing, newsletters, bulletins, business writing, data entry, compiling and typing minutes, and graphics with free pickup and delivery. Lawson has eight years' experience as an administrative assistant. 862-1024 (phone/fax).

New Service

SoVerNet Inc. introduced business symmetric digital subscriber line (SDSL) services in Burlington. SDSL is modem technology that transforms copper lines into digital lines allowing high-speed Internet access at lower cost. SoVerNet, which has offices in Bellows Falls and Burlington, plans to offer the service in other areas of Vermont in upcoming months.

January

No new business