St. Johnsbury Business Resources
 |
 |
 |
Jeff Paquet, Business broker |
Dennis Myrick, Business consultant |
Joel Schwartz, Director |
.jpg)
Open for Business!
Governor Douglas was in St. Johnsbury April 23 to officially open two new businesses in town – Mill River Furniture and the Estabrook House Bed and Breakfast Inn. Run by enthusiastic, hard-working businesspeople who share a love for the St. Johnsbury area, they are both great additions to the local community.
Estabrook House
.jpg) |
| Maurine Hennings in the foyer |
The house was built in 1896 for Warren Estabrook, a
 |
| Estabrook House |
.jpg) |
| one of the B&B's bedrooms |
The Estabrook House B & B has four bedrooms and can handle up to six guests
Mill River Furniture
Skip Gray of Mill River Furniture is a huge fan of the local area. Born in Connecticut, Skip moved to Danville in 2002 when he saw the beauty of the Northeast Kingdom. “I have to pinch myself sometimes when I think how lucky I am to live here and be able to raise our kids here,” Skip says. “In Virginia Beach, where we used to live, I would spend hours every day waiting in line and in traffic.”
 |
| Skip Gray (l.) with customer Julie Murphy (r.) |
Mill River Furniture in located at 166 Railroad Street, in the building that for years was occupied by Lynaugh Roofing. Although you would never guess its former industrial use when you step in the colorful, bright showroom, Skip is pleased to have been able to renovate an existing building. “We think it’s a great location,” he says. “We’re on a street with lots of traffic, and it’s easy to give people directions to where we are.”
The store sells furniture for most rooms of the house – sofa, chairs, loveseats,
 |
| Skip in the St. J showroom |
You can reach Mill River Furniture in St. Johnsbury at 748-1515, and Maurine Hennings at the Estabrook House at 751-8261.
Mobile Medical Brings Help
All Around the World
In the field of creating medical surgical facilities that can travel to wherever they are needed, Rick Cochran is a visionary. Cochran has spent the past 27 years refining his idea of bringing healthcare to underserved areas. It has culminated in his company headquartered here in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, Mobile Medical International Corporation. And, by the way, Cochran is a local guy who grew up in Walden and West Danville, and went to Danville High School.
“It started with a law passed in 1980,” says Cochran. “The Omnibus Reconciliation Act made the now-common practice of ambulatory surgical centers possible.” At the time, Cochran was working with a company that manufactured medical equipment that was useful in an outpatient-type setting. Cochran saw the possibilities of offering all the equipment needed for a surgical center, and as he started to do this, he found himself getting involved with architects in the design of the buildings themselves. Eventually, Cochran went on to consult with clients who were starting surgery centers, including obtaining the certificates of need and help with licensing required to open such centers.
“I was always thinking about ways to make these surgery centers mobile,” says Cochran. “Initially, I thought the mobile idea made sense for grouping doctors in distant areas who needed a surgery center. A mobile center could go from place to place and give a doctor the surgical facility he or she needed one or two days a week, then be used by another doctor other days.” Living in St. Louis at the time, Cochran went back to school, and in 1991, received the Missouri Collegiate Entrepreneur Award for his business plans about the mobile medical concept.
Cochran decided it was time to bring his idea to fruition and moved back to Vermont in late 1993. With the help of Senator Leahy’s office, he tested the waters internationally and found interest in his idea at various embassies around the world. He began his company in 1994. A very positive response from the US Air Force helped him establish his division for manufacturing mobile units for the military. In fact, one of his earliest supporters in the Air Force, Gen. Paul K. Carlton, sits on Mobile Medical’s Board of Directors. Today, the company is very involved in helping the military design the next generation of combat support hospitals (what used to be known as MASH units).
When asked why Cochran chose to come back to Vermont and start his company here in 1994, he recounts a story from high school. “I remember reading a magazine article in school about the impoverished Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, that described the difficult life that kids had in this area. I thought, ‘My life isn’t like what they are describing here.’ We weren’t wealthy, but we had food to eat and a happy life. It was then and there I decided that if I ever had a chance, I wanted to give back to this area that I loved so much.”
Mobile Medical is located on Route 2, in a building that also houses Fairbanks Scales. There are close to 30 people working in St. Johnsbury today, and they manufacture both commercial and military medical units at the site. Rick Cochran's idea has developed into an exciting business that makes a difference in the lives of people all around the world.
St. Johnsbury is a small town with a large reservoir of resources for businesses. It is centrally located at the intersections of Interstates 91, 93 and US Route 2, northern New England's road corridor, making it a great place to do business!
The town has its own economic development office, which provides information for prospective business people as well as information about the region and town.
There are also many government and private programs to help small business owners start out and succeed. Here are some links to agencies and programs that provide information on business start ups and ongoing support for small businesses:
Northeastern Vermont Development Association (NVDA)
Vermont Economic Development Authority (VEDA)
Northern Community Investment Corporation (NCIC)
For general questions about doing business in St. Johnsbury, email jschwartz@town.st-johnsbury.vt.us