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, 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..

For the "Existing Business" category, the $20,000 Grand Prize was awarded to Fulcrum Arts, owned by Natalie Blake and Randi Solin of Brattleboro (pictured here with BDCC Board member Dart Everett), to integrate and extend their two successful crafts businesses with a shared building, public demonstration area, gallery, and teaching facility.

The top-prize winner in the 2006 Business Plan Competition was Nimble Arts Trapeze and Circus School. Based at Cotton Mill Hill, Nimble Arts was founded in 2003 by twin sisters Serenity Smith Forchion and Elsie Smith. They teach acrobatics, trapeze, and juggling to adults and children as young as 18 months. "Winning the competition had an invigorating effect on my sister and me," says Serenity. "We felt spurred into moving forward with many plans and dreams we had for our business, and certainly the influx of cash helped us move ahead with those goals."