Existing Business Grand Prize |
 For the "Existing Business" category, the $20,000 Grand Prize was awarded to Linda and Tom Diak (pictured here with their sons Christopher and Nicholas), the owners of Grafton Fibers, [http://www.graftonfibers.com/] a Saxtons River company that produces Vermont-crafted needle-art tools and fibers. Founded in 2001, Grafton Fibers will be using the prize money to acquire additional equipment and tooling needed to brand their needles, improve packaging, expand production capabilities, and create new employee positions.. |
New Business Grand Prize |
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Existing Business Finalist Prizes |
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The five finalist prizes of $1,000 each were presented to: (1) Big Wally's Adhesives [http://plastermagic.com/], owned by Rory Brennan and Laurie Klenkel of Brattleboro, to create and manufacture an innovative plaster repair product;  (2) Concrete Detail [http://www.concretedetail.com/], owned by Richard Holschuh of Brattleboro, to produce custom artisan concrete countertops, sinks, and other architectural surfaces for homes and businesses;
 (3) Ironwood Brand, owned by Eli Gould of West Brattleboro (pictured here with his wife Jessica and their children), to offer construction management and custom wood products manufacturing;
 (4) Moscode, Inc. [http://www.moscode.com/], owned by Gage Rommel and George Kaye of Brattleboro, to produce high-end audio amplifiers; and
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New Business Finalist Prizes |
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Five finalist prizes of $1,000 each were presented to:  (1) AMPress [http://www.archermayor.com/], owned by Archer Mayor of Newfane (pictured here with his colleague Elaine Sopchak), to publish his out-of-print mystery novels featuring the fictional Brattleboro Detective Joe Gunther
 (2) EcoFuels, owned by Owen Dodge and Tad Montgomery of Brattleboro, to produce and distribute biofuel as a cheaper environmental alternative to petroleum for homes, farms, institutions and industry;
 (3) The Timber-Frame Shop, owned by Monica MacNeille of Brattleboro, to offer custom timber-framing, timber-framing workshops, and Gothic Revival and Art Noveau-inspired garden structures;
 (4) Vermont Stone Composite, owned by Peter Welch and Tyler Maas of Brattleboro, to produce custom-built Vermont stone insulated masonry panels, using a patent-pending system; and
 (5) Windham Country Magazine, owned by Lynn Barrett of Dummerston Center, to publish a quarterly magazine promoting the people and life in Windham County.
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For the "New Business" category, the $10,000 Grand Prize was awarded to Ed Metcalfe, the owner of Vermont Distillers, a micro-distillery in Marlboro that will be manufacturing and selling premium Vermont-based liquors and liqueurs. His prize money will go toward start-up costs and the initial purchase of equipment.