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Burlington, Vermont is consistently ranked as one of the best cities in the
Northeast and the nation. Among its winning attributes are a high quality
workforce, access to major markets, and a pro-business attitude. Its
comparatively low-cost housing, labor, taxes and overhead add to the city's
appeal.
In January 1999, Point of View Magazine ranked Burlington 5th in
"Boomtown, 75 cities to start a business" behind Seattle, Austin, Las
Vegas and Denver. The 1994 "Development Report Card" of the
Corporation for Enterprise Development ranked Burlington first for greatest
investment in its manufacturing sector of any city in the U.s.
"The quality of the local workforce
and the quality of life are two key reasons why a company would find the Greater
Burlington area a good place to do business. It boasts a skilled and
educated workforce with abundant continuing education opportunities available
from the area's higher education institutions. In addition, the region's
natural beauty, recreation, cultural activities and services offer a unique mix
of urban and small town lifestyle rarely found elsewhere." -
Jeffrey Couture, Manager, Communications and Public Relations, IBM
Burlington's location and atmosphere ensure a superior quality of life for
its 39,000 residents. In June 1995, Outside Magazine awarded
"Dream Town" status to Burlington for providing a real life and real
jobs. The May/June 2000 Maturity Magazine called Burlington one of
the best 50 places to live and in April 2001, Ladies' Home Journal rated
Burlington as the Third Best Place for Women to Live.
Nestled between Lake Champlain and the Green Mountains, Burlington is the
center of a region known for its outdoor activities. Fishing, boating and
swimming opportunities abound on the lake, while the Green Mountains provide
world class skiing and breathtaking hiking trails.
Burlington's award-winning quality of life ensures a stable, flexible and
loyal workforce. The work ethic in Vermont, and particularly in
Burlington, is one which is unmatched in most regions.
Access to major markets is easy. Burlington
International Airport, less than 10 minutes from Downtown, offers
convenient air service to key cities. A well-developed interstate highway
system adds to the convenience. Burlington is within a day's drive of
Boston, New York, Toronto and Montreal, which are home to 80 million potential
consumers.
Establishing and maintaining Burlington's vibrant economy has taken a
coordinated effort between government and private interests. Burlington's
Community & Economic Development Office has developed a strategy to attract
quality manufacturing jobs, upgrade the workforce through training programs, and
encourage entrepreneurs. The Greater
Burlington Industrial Corporation has not only developed local industrial
parks, but has helped to coordinate public and private efforts to promote local
industry. The Lake Champlain Regional
Chamber of Commerce, the Vermont
World Trade Office and the State's Agency
of Commerce and Community Development are also resources for businesses
wishing to relocate to Burlington.
"We looked at various sites both in
and outside of Vermont before selecting Burlington as the new location for
Burton. There were many reasons for the selection - the support provided
by the City for small business, the available work force, the well-serviced
airport and the proximity to the highways." - Jake Burton, CEO,
Burton Snowboards
The public education system in
the Burlington area has an excellent reputation. Its average student to
teacher ratio is 19:1, with 60 percent of students continuing on to
college. IBM awarded a $2 million grant to the State of Vermont to improve
the way student learning is measured in public schools. The grant is part
of IBM's Reinventing Education Program. This initiative is designed to
develop a system to store portfolios of student work in digital form.
Vermont is the first state to create such a statewide digital portfolio storage
system. The area's public school are complemented by a number of
private institutions ranging from parochial schools to ski academies.
There is also an excellent choice of high quality, employee run, private and
community-based preschools.
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