For a company based in California, an expansion to Vermont was just the right move. 

KAD Models and Prototypes, a company founded in California, opened its Randolph arm in 2019, after owner Brian Kippen decided he wanted to return to Vermont after having left in 2003 to open his business in Silicon Valley. 

KAD Models clients have included Tesla, Camelbak and Google parent Alphabet. 

Randolph proved an attractive place to open a manufacturing company thanks to its proximity to Vermont Tech, which ensured access to a consistent pool of local talent, reported the Valley News when KAD Models and Prototypes opened its Vermont branch. 

Despite its status as new kid on the manufacturing block, KAD Models and Prototypes is making a bold name for itself, having remediated contamination on a site in East Randolph for an expansion, according to the Rutland Herald.  

KAD Models is participated in the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation’s Brownfields Reuse and Environmental Liability Limitation Program to clean up the site and put it back to work. It’s a win-win; KAD Models gets financial aid for remediating the property, according to WCAX, as well as limitations on liabilities that may arise from the property’s brownfield status, and the state gets a clean and useful parcel of land.   

KAD estimated 15 new jobs would be created in the region once the move is complete. The talent pipeline was a big part of why Brian Kippen chose to relocate his business to Vermont; the talent pool in California is so competitive it’s hard for smaller businesses to attract employees, he told the Valley News. 

KAD Models is currently exploring the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development’s Vermont Employee Growth Incentive, which provides cash incentives for targeted growth to businesses that qualify. 

Businesses looking to relocate will find an array of resources to help them grow and succeed in Vermont. If you’re thinking about expanding or relocating your business in Vermont, contact Tim Tierney, Director of Business Recruitment and International Trade.