Given the number of alumni of the School of Business Administration who have stayed in Vermont and contributed to the business of the state, it seems only fitting that the Vermont Business Hall of Fame will be housed in UVM's Kalkin Hall.
Inductees into the new hall are past winners of the Deane C. Davis Outstanding Vermont Business of the Year Award presented annually by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine. The inaugural class was inducted at a reception in the lobby of Kalkin on May 25 where a granite plaque was erected with the names of the previous 19 winners of the award named after the former Vermont governor who served from 1969 to 1973.
"The university is proud to house the newly established Vermont Business Hall of Fame and to honor businesses in the state that exemplify the ideals of Deane C. Davis" said UVM President Daniel Fogel. "This partnership with the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and Vermont Business Magazine epitomizes the university's ongoing commitment to creating knowledge and resources that fuel the economic engine of the state of Vermont."
The winner of this year's award, BioTek Instruments of Winooski, is a prime example of the connections between the Vermont businesses community and the university. A global leader in the development, manufacture and sale of microplate instrumentation and software, BioTek is a UVM spinoff company through the UVM Office of Technology Commercialization and was founded in 1968 by Norman Alpert, a professor in physiology in the College of Medicine and internationally recognized expert in the area of cardiac hypertrophy and energetics.
Alpert, who passed away in 2004, chaired the Department of Physiology and Biophysics from 1966 to 1995 and built one of the premier departments of muscle biology that focused on heart failure. BioTek, dedicated to providing world-class instruments and solutions that help accelerate life science research, is currently run by Alpert's sons -- UVM alums Briar Alpert '83, president and CEO, and Adam Alpert '80, vice president of business development.
BiokTek was presented with the 20th Deane C. Davis Award on May 26 at the opening ceremonies of the Vermont Chamber's Business & Industry EXPO. It was honored alongside fellow finalists, Foley Family Companies of Rutland, and Small Dog Electronics of Waitsfield. The award is given annually at the Expo to a Vermont company that has met the highest standards of excellence in the past year in the following categories: growth in sales or employment; commitment of company resources for participation in community projects; addressing employee concerns or needs to create a positive work environment for all employees; and recognition of the importance of the environment to the state as a natural and economic resource.
The partnership between UVM, VBM and VCC is expected to further integrate the Vermont business community and UVM, highlighting the leadership and resources of the university in the areas of business research, training, and real-world application of knowledge. "We have a strong commitment to serving the business community through student internships, research projects, and providing professional expertise where appropriate," said Larry Shirland, interim dean of the School of Business Administration.