BRATTLEBORO, Vt. – On Friday, Jan. 14, 2022, the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation organized a virtual event to announce the winner of the 2021 Windham County Economic Development Program Business Plan Competition. WCEDP Council members joined the panel of judges, representatives from Vermont’s Department of Economic Development, and BDCC’s business team in congratulating Putney’s Vermont Weaving Supplies, owner Dena Moses, and her growing team, on their win.
Fifteen companies applied for the competition, with six submitting final business plans. The Business Plan Competition was launched on Sep. 1, 2021 and was reviewed by a panel of judges unaffiliated with BDCC. “We’d like to commend all of the contestants for their hard work and the high quality of their submissions,” said Eyad Salha, BDCC’s Business Technical Assistance Provider.
During the webinar, Moses provided an overview of her winning business plan and her vision for growing her company. “Whether or not I had won, the process of analyzing different parts of my business and putting together a plan has been critical,” shared Moses. Her business is built on 25 years of experience as a weaver, trainer, and supplier, but took off in new ways during the pandemic.
The 2022 WCEDP Business Plan Competition was judged by a panel of local entrepreneurs and commercial lenders: Brian Holt, Co-Owner, 1A Coffee; Leda Scheintaub, Entrepreneur, Owner, Dosa Kitchen; Andrew Rackear, Entrepreneur; Ellen Capy, Founder, Mocha Joe’s; Peter Carvell, Senior Commercial Banking Officer, Brattleboro Savings & Loan; Michael Alexander, Owner, RecycleAway.
The 2021 Windham County Economic Development Program business plan competition was developed specifically to encourage and support growth-oriented, scalable businesses. These criteria were prioritized in an effort to create new job opportunities to help replace the wages lost due to the closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Plant.
Windham County Economic Development Program was created to help relieve the economic impact from over $60 million in annual lost wages due to the closure of the Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant. Since the program launched, WCEDP funds have helped existing businesses, reinforced economic development infrastructure, and generated new businesses and entrepreneurial opportunities.