Paul Millman to receive VBSR's Terry Ehrich Award

Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR) is pleased to announce Paul Millman, co-founder of Chroma Technology, as the 2016 recipient of the Terry Ehrich Award for Excellence in Socially Responsible Business. Named for the late owner of Hemmings Motor News and a founding member of VBSR, the award is given to a VBSR member who best exemplifies Terry Ehrich’s commitment to the environment, workplace, progressive public policy, and community.

“VBSR is pleased to honor Paul with this award,” said Jane Campbell, Executive Director of VBSR. “His company’s practices exemplify a business approach that places a high value on employees and the company’s surrounding community. And, by converting his business to an employee-owned company, Paul ensured that the equity and profits would be shared among employees.”

“This award is a great honor,” Millman said. ”I see it, however, as an award for all of our company’s employee-owners, acknowledging all they’ve done to make Chroma’s success and sustainable business practices possible.

Chroma was organized by several individuals who wanted to create a working environment entirely different from the typical corporate structure. Founded in Brattleboro, Vermont, in May 1991, Chroma quickly established itself as a leader in filter design and manufacture. From its inception, Chroma has worked closely with the community of molecular and cell biologists worldwide to develop the best possible solutions to applications requiring fluorescence filters for both research and clinical diagnostics.

As an employee-owned company, Chroma has grown from seven employees in its first year of business to over 100 employees with offices in Europe and Asia today. Chroma's filters are distributed worldwide, though all manufacturing occurs in the United States.

Millman joins recent Terry Ehrich Award recipients Duane Peterson (SunCommon), Mark Curran (Black River Produce), Jan Blomstrann (Renewable NRG Systems, Inc.), and Allison Hooper (Vermont Creamery), among others awarded since 2002. Terry Ehrich awardees are chosen by a nomination process which is open to VBSR’s 760 members. VBSR’s Nominating Committee reviewed all nominations and made recommendations to the Board of Directors, who then selected Millman as the awardee. The official announcement was made to a crowd of 325 members and friends at VBSR’s 26^th Annual Spring Conference on May 12. Millman will receive the award at the 2016 Terry Ehrich Award Ceremony and Dinner in September. For more details, visit www.vbsr.org (link is external).

About VBSR

Founded in 1990, VBSR is a statewide, non-profit business association with a mission to advance business ethics that value multiple bottom lines: economic, social, and environmental. Through education, public influence, and workplace quality, VBSR strives to help 760 members set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of the state's residents while remaining profitable. Learn more or join the cause at www.vbsr.org (link is external).

About Chroma Technology

Chroma Technology Corp. is a leading manufacturer of optical filters and related products. An employee-owned company, Chroma manufactures interference filters for the ultra-violet, visible and near-infrared portions of the spectrum.