Vermont manufacturers tell Commerce & Economic Development committees workforce, housing and rising costs are pressing risks

Manufacturers from across Vermont urged members of Commerce & Economic Development at a joint Manufacturing Day hearing to prioritize policies addressing workforce shortages, housing scarcity and business costs that speakers said threaten operations and expansion.

Mark Rainville, owner of Maple Landmark Woodcraft in Middlebury, described manufacturing in Vermont as a “small-scale, high-technology” sector that produces goods for national and international markets but is fragile because businesses can move or close as conditions change. He said his company employs about 32–33 people and is “in the middle of hiring.”

The hearing featured companies of different sizes. Jim Tringe, director of plant services for AgriMark, the cooperative behind Cabot Creamery, told the committee the cooperative supports more than 400 farm families, employs more than 1,000 people overall and more than 600 in Vermont, and relies on H‑2B seasonal visas and other staffing strategies to meet labor needs. “Labor is the most pressing issue of the past few years,” Tringe said.

Diane Adrizzini, co‑founder and COO of Rigorous Technology, a robotics and automation firm, said Vermont’s advantages—community, values-driven businesses and skilled workers—are threatened by limited industrial space, high energy costs, spotty rural internet and weak public transportation. “To grow into other areas, you need connectivity, technical partnerships and strong public‑private collaboration,” she said.

Speakers repeatedly linked workforce problems to local housing shortages and to health‑care costs. Brian Kippen, a business owner and technical educator, and others said employees are often immobile because housing costs prevent relocation; Kippen warned that rising employer health‑insurance costs have surpassed other operating expenses. Rainville said his company now pays about 2.5 times more on health insurance than it spends on lumber compared with 2019.

Several presenters described state programs and nonprofit supports that help manufacturers adapt. Rainville and other speakers praised the Vermont Manufacturing Extension Center (VMEC) and the state’s working‑lands programs as useful but not sufficient on their own. Rainville also described administrative friction around tax and benefits systems and said that modernizing employer interfaces for unemployment and other state systems remains unfinished.

Tariffs and global supply‑chain trends came up as mixed forces. Some contract manufacturers reported increased quoting and demand as buyers consider reshoring; others warned of cost increases and potential retaliatory tariff impacts for exports to Canada and Quebec.

The committee did not take formal votes. Legislators and committee chairs encouraged manufacturers to invite visits and follow up with committee staff on specific program details and needs.

Ending: The hearing showcased the diversity of Vermont manufacturing—from family‑owned woodcraft and regional dairy processing to robotics and precision components—and highlighted recurring, solvable challenges the sector says require coordinated legislative attention.