How are Vermont businesses coping with the COVID-19 pandemic? For some, it means reinventing themselves. Caledonia Spirits and Silo Distillery have transformed from distilling spirits to making hand sanitizer for area hospitals and residents. Vermont Glove has transformed from sewing handmade leather gloves to making hand-sewn face masks for health care providers and public servants. Twincraft Skincare, a leading manufacturer of soap, is hiring to meet unprecedented demand. But other businesses are struggling with layoffs and uncertainty about what the future holds. We speak with Vermont businesspeople about how they are innovating, adapting and worrying about the uncertain future, and the chance to enact long-term change as a result of the crisis.(March 25, 2020 broadcast)
John & Jen Kimmich, The Alchemist, Stowe, VT
Ryan Christiansen, Caledonia Spirits, Montpelier, VT
Peter Jillson, Silo Distillery, Windsor, VT
Michele Asch, Twincraft Skincare, Winooski, VT
Bill Butcher, Mocha Joe’s Roasting Co., Brattleboro, VT
Sam Hooper, Vermont Glove, Randolph, VT
Vermont Conversation 