BDCC Location and Site Services: Site Selection, Development, Facilities Expansions and More
The BDCC is committed to helping businesses grow by helping you find the best facility possible. The BDCC helps businesses and entrepreneurs with the physical expansion resources required for growth in three main ways:
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1. Projects: New Development, Expansion & Environmental Cleanup
The BDCC can help your business by helping open a new facility whether it’s building from the ground up, or adding to an existing building. We have helped companies such as Chroma and GS Precision with adding new facility space and securing the financing necessary to implement their expansions projects.
On the right is an image of Chroma’s new facility, which the BDCC helped facilitate and finance, guiding the company through the building process.
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2. Site Selection: Facility Finding, Purchase, Acquisition and Financing
Businesses looking to locate or relocate in the region often need help finding an appropriate facility or site. The BDCC can help with this process as well, as we did recently with Mocha Joe’s.
Pictured at right is Mocha Joe’s co-owner Pierre Capy in the recently purchased facility in downtown Brattleboro which is enabling Mocha Joe’s to consolidate their processing and warehousing operations that have not been colocated with their headquarters until now. BDCC aided in the process of this purchase of an existing facility based on understanding the client needs, and opportunities in the commercial real estate market.
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3. Tenant Space: From Startup to Fit-up
The BDCC owns and operates over 500,000 sf of commercial and industrial space with 85 tenants and over 400 employees. We can provide new businesses with space in one of our Brattleboro sites. We also work with our tenants who need to adapt or expand space in order to grow their businesses.
Pictured on the right is True North Granola, one of the BDCC tenants who have grown their business in the Cotton Mill building.
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To inquire about BDCC Development Services for real estate acquisition or expansion, please contact Adam Grinold at agrinold@brattleborodevelopment.com
To inquire about commercial or industrial space to rent, please contact James Walker at jwalker@brattleborodevelopment.com or visit our Tenant Portal.
For more information BDCC services for business growth, attraction, and retention (including commercial real estate and financing opportunities), click here.
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Recent BDCC Development Services Projects
BDCC Facilitates Complex Deals to Help Businesses Locate, Grow and Thrive in the Region
Long Falls Paperboard: In late October, 2018, Neenah Paper announced they would be closing their Brattleboro paper mill, a process that would result in the loss of 100 good-paying jobs in the region. The BDCC responded rapidly, initially by attempting to assist Neenah Paper’s operations and remain open. The company declined, only offering the alternative of a sale that could be successfully executed by December 31. The BDCC helped find this buyer in Long Falls Paperboard (LFP), and brought together all the parties necessary to complete such a sale in less than 60 days. This was possible through the establishment of a public-private partnership between the BDCC and LFP, allowing the BDCC to quickly purchase the paper mill and perform necessary environmental assessment and cleanup before selling the property to LFP. A US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields grant of $500,000 was secured by the BDCC in June, 2019 to complete this process. For more information about the Long Falls Paperboard plant, see the articles below.
- Making the Impossible Possible at Former Neenah Paper Mill
- Brattleboro Paper Company Sold, Jobs Saved
- Gov. Scott Welcomes Long Falls Paperboard
- BDCC Receives EPA Brownfields Funding
G.S. Precision: In 2017 G.S. Precision, a high-precision manufacturer of machine components, officially completed a $17 million expansion that had the effect of retaining 300 local jobs and bringing an additional 100 manufacturing jobs to the region. The project was a result of the cumulative efforts of many organizations and programs, with the BDCC and Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) leading the way. The BDCC was instrumental in creating a package of financing and incentives to help fund the $17 million project, which included TD Bank and VEDA (Vermont Economic Development Authority) financing, a Community Development Block Grant, New Market Tax Credits, Windham County Economic Development Funding, and Vermont Employment Growth Incentives. For more information on the G.S. Precision expansion, see the articles below or visit the G.S. Precision project page linked above.
- BDCC Facilitates 17 Million Dollar Expansion at GS Precision
- MHIC Massachusetts Housing Finance Corporation 2016 Annual Report G.S. Precision project overview.
- Vermont Business Magazine G.S. Precision Expansion adds 100 Jobs in Brattleboro.
- Vermont Business Magazine G.S. Precision Commits to Brattleboro Expansion.
Chroma: Chroma is a local optical filter engineer and manufacturer that supplies lenses to industries across the world. In 2017, the company began a 40,000 square foot expansion costing roughly $20 million which is helping to retain the company’s 113 existing jobs as well as adding 26 new jobs to the region. Chroma is an employee owned (ESOP) business. This project was facilitated by the BDCC, the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development, and the Town of Rockingham; the BDCC stepped in as a consultant for the project, facilitating local and state funding sources including the town of Rockingham, the Community Development Block Grant program, loans from the Vermont Economic Development Authority, the Windham County Economic Development Program, Vermont Employment Growth Incentives, and federal New Market Tax Credits. For more information on the Chroma expansion, see the articles below of visit the Chroma project page linked above.
- BDCC-backed Chroma expansion nearing completion
- State OKs $20 Million Dollar Chroma Expansion
- MHIC Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation 2017 Annual Report Chroma expansion overview (see p. 28/29).
Brooks House: Since 1871, The Brooks House has been a pillar of downtown Brattleboro, serving as both a venue for retail space on Main Street (on its first floor) as well as apartments and residential housing on the upper three stories. However, after a devastating fire in 2011 which rendered the building uninhabitable, significant investment was needed to secure the future of the property and restore that critical section of Brattleboro’s main downtown block. To help with the renovation, the BDCC assisted in securing private financing from a variety of banks as well as public financing in the form of New Market Tax Credits, a Community Development Block grant, Vermont Downtown Tax Credits, Vermont Economic Development Authority Loans, and Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credits. For more information on the Brooks House project, please see the articles below or the Brooks House project page linked above.
- Brattleboro Reformer 2014 Feature on The Brooks House
- Brooks House Re-Opening
- Brooks House Financing Information
Commonwealth Dairy: In December 2016, yogurt manufacturer Commonwealth Dairy announced their intentions to go through with a $20 million dollar expansion of their facility that would bring over 50 new jobs to the region. Commonwealth began in Brattleboro less than ten years ago and grew quickly to over 100 employees. This new expansion represents remarkable growth for the company, and follows a previous 23,000 square foot expansion that added 34 jobs to the existing 110 person workforce. While Commonwealth considered expanding their Arizona facility, the company ultimately partnered with the BDCC to grow in Brattleboro instead, securing public financing from the Vermont Training Program, Vermont Employment Growth Incentives, a grant and tax stabilization from the town of Brattleboro, and a million dollars in funding from the BDCC-run Windham County Economic Development Program (WCEDP). For more information on the Commonwealth Dairy project, please see the press articles below or the project page linked above.
- $20 million Commonwealth Dairy Expansion Overview
- State Commits over $2 million in Incentives to Expansion
Mocha Joe’s: Locally owned and operated Mocha Joe’s, known for its iconic downtown Café, is also a roasting company with over 100 wholesale customers throughout the Northeast, and a staff of 7. In April of 2018, Mocha Joe’s purchased the abandoned Cultural Intrigue warehouse in downtown Brattleboro for $1 million in order to expand their facilities. The BDCC helped to facilitate matching the available site with Mocha Joe’s desire to relocalize more of their company’s activities, and a $350,000 Windham County Economic Development Program loan. For more information on Mocha Joe’s Brattleboro expansion please see the content below.
Development Services Blog Posts
Publication: BDCC Celebrates 70 Years Serving The Windham County Community
This year, Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation celebrates 70 years of building jobs in Windham County. To celebrate, BDCC updated a historic publication that marked a previous milestone: a 50th anniversary newspaper published in 2004 to celebrate half a century of accomplishments. The 70th anniversary retrospective…
Market Research – Techniques and Uses
In our previous blogs we covered how to identify a business idea, how to define the mission/problem your business is set to solve, and the different types of organizational structures. What comes next is to validate your business concept. This validation comes through a market…
Governor Visits Bellows Falls to Celebrate Robertson Site Cleanup
Robertson Paper Mill. ACCD photo. $1.2 million remediation in Bellows Falls brings opportunity From the Vermont Business Magazine Fri, 12/13/2019 - 1:37pm -- Vermont Business Magazine Governor Phil Scott today attended a ribbon cutting ceremony at the former site of the Robertson Paper Mill. This ceremony marked the…
BDCC & SeVEDS Annual Meeting Highlights People Making a Difference
Susan Bailey and Omar Smith of Readsboro, Sheldon Scott of Whitney Blake Honored BRATTLEBORO, VT – The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) & Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) annual meeting took place on November 7th. Boards of Trustees, Members, Staff and friends attended the celebratory event…
Biomass could replace natural gas at Brattleboro paper board factory
From VTDigger By Anne Wallace Allen Sep 5 2019 Long Falls Paperboard, the company that this year bought the former Neenah Paper Inc. plant in Brattleboro, is using a $1 million federal grant to study using wood biomass instead of the natural gas that is delivered…
U.S. Department Of Commerce Invests $440,000 to Improve Critical Infrastructure In Brattleboro Opportunity Zone
BDCC Helps Secure funding for Long Awaited Upgrades August 13, 2019 BRATTLEBORO, VT – The federal government has awarded $440,000 to the Town of Brattleboro for critical water and wastewater infrastructure improvements needed to support commercial development. On July 29th the U.S. Department of…
Magic Mountain Gets ACT 250 Approval for Snowmaking Project
From Vermont Business Magazine Tue, 06/25/2019 - 10:34am New Dam Construction and Stream Alteration Work Begins This Summer Long a key element of SKI MAGIC LLC's 5-year strategic plan, Magic Mountain Ski Area has gained Vermont state permitting approval for doubling the size of its…
BDCC Receives EPA Brownfields Funding
Cleanup of Industrial Site in Brattleboro Part of Deal to Save 100 Jobs BRATTLEBORO, VT – Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) has successfully secured a US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Brownfields grant. Funds will be used for a 39-acre site that has been in active use…
100 jobs saved by paper mill sale
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkOJULCAW28 New owners say sale completed in record time to prevent closure For complete video and transcript of from NBC5 Coverage of Governor Scott's visit to Long Falls Paperpoard to celebrate new ownership on January 17th, 2019, visit https://www.mynbc5.com/article/100-jobs-saved-in-paper-mill-sale/25941065 by Ross Ketschke Ross.Ketschke@hearst.com. BRATTLEBORO, Vt.…
Governor Scott Welcomes Long Falls Paperboard
Brattleboro Plant Purchased, 100 Employees Retained BRATTLEBORO, VT ( January 18, 2019) Governor Phil Scott held his weekly press conference yesterday at the Long Falls Paperboard (LFP) plant in Brattleboro, to celebrate the company’s recent purchase of the business formerly owned and operated by Neenah…
Governor lauds Brattleboro’s last-minute rescue of 100 jobs
VTDigger Jan 17 2019 By Kevin O'Connor BRATTLEBORO — Just because Gov. Phil Scott moved his weekly press conference from the state capital to a local paper mill two hours south didn’t necessarily mean he’d make headlines. Then again, the fact the business was there…
Making the Impossible Possible at Former Neenah Paper Mill
Pictured above, a glazing machine at the newly named Long Falls Paperboard mill on Wellington Road in Brattleboro. KRISTOPHER RADDER - BRATTLEBORO REFORMER From the Brattleboro Reformer. For more photos and the original article visit the Reformer.com By Bob Audette, Brattleboro Reformer BRATTLEBORO — A…
Former Brattleboro Neenah Plant Operations Sold, Employees Retained
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE BRATTLEBORO, VT - Long Falls Paperboard (LFP) and Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) announce the sale of the Brattleboro, VT paperboard plant, formerly owned and operated by Neenah Paper, Inc. (Neenah Paper). On December 31, 2018 LFP completed a complex financial transaction…
BDCC & SeVEDS 2018 Annual Meeting
The Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation (BDCC) & Southeastern Vermont Economic Development Strategies (SeVEDS) Boards of Trustees, Members, and Staff hosted this year’s annual meeting at the Brattleboro Music Center. The theme of the evening was “Investing in Our Region,” celebrating the public and private investments…
Chroma Technology Celebrates Expansion
BELLOWS FALLS – Senator Patrick Leahy and Governor Phil Scott and local officials joined Paul Millman, president of employee-owned Chroma Technology Corp, to celebrate the completion of a $22 million expansion that will add or retain 133 jobs in Bellows Falls. The event concludes pre-development…
New Owner for Maple Valley Ski Area
Sugar Mountain Holdings purchased the Maple Valley Ski Area in Dummerston in late May. The new owners, who have deep ties to the region, worked with the Brattleboro Development Credit Corporation and local service providers to create a new plan for the former ski area.…
$1.2 Million clean up under way at former Robertson Paper Mill Site
From the Vermont Business Magazine, Monday, May 7, 2018 More than $1.2 million in funding commitments are in place and remediation design work is currently under way at the former site of the abandoned and blighted Robertson Paper Mill in Bellows Falls. This high-profile Brownfields…
BDCC Facilitates Mocha Joe’s $1 Million Expansion in Brattleboro
BRATTLEBORO — On April 3rd the owners of Mocha Joe's bought the former Cultural Intrigue Warehouse for $1 million at auction to expand their coffee roasting and increase storage capacity. The new facility will save storage fees and bring inventory closer to home. The plans include…
Manufacturer’s Growth Brings New Jobs to Brattleboro
BDCC Leads $19 Million Chroma Expansion Project
Back in December 2016, Chroma, a local optical lens manufacturer that distributes its product all over the world, was approved by the state of Vermont for a 37,000 square foot expansion to its facilities. This project would add about 25 new jobs as well as…