As part of our "Meet the Chamber Board" series, we sat down with Ned Horton, owner of Otter Creek Bakery and Deli, Otter Creek Bakery East, co-owner of Vergennes Wine and Spirits and the new Hare of the Dog in Middlebury.
How long have you lived and/or worked in Addison County?
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My parents were innkeepers, they started The Old Ark in Wilmington, VT. They sold the business when I was 9 and we moved to Middlebury in 1969. Early days my parents, Pete and Bette, were part of a tireless core group that helped start the Addison County Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber of Commerce grew out of an active downtown merchants association. My parents worked for the Chamber of Commerce for many years in the seventies. I went off to college in Maine and my work-life took me to Nashville, TN in the eighties. I bought a home in Middlebury five years ago and have been involved here since then, splitting my time between ongoing interests in Vermont, Maine and Tennessee.
Otter Creek Bakery Middlebury, VT
How long have you volunteered with the Chamber’s Board?
I was asked to get involved in 2021.
Tell us about your career?
My first career was in radio, I started in advertising sales with a goal to become a radio station owner. As a kid we lived just down the street from WFAD. I can recall Ken Gilbert, KG, allowing me to operate the control board when I was about 10, queueing up the local ads airing during the Red Sox broadcasts. I’d also like to give a shout out to Mr. Lou Megyesi who was the Director of the Learning Center at MUHS. Mr. Megyesi allowed us to sign out tape recorders, microphones and editing equipment, so we started recording a weekly newsmagazine style show called Straight from the Tiger’s Mouth. We’d call that a podcast these days! I was fortunate to turn my passion for music and an interest in marketing into a career.
I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and have also invested in real estate for many years. There’s always something to learn and to improve and I am enjoying the ride.
In 2023, what do you see as the most challenging issue(s) facing business in Addison County?
Available and affordable housing is still a huge concern for Addison County. We are not alone facing that challenge, but the lack of housing is a painful constraint for sure. The 250-unit housing project that Middlebury College and Summit properties have planned seems like a homerun, but we need to hit a lot more singles throughout the county as well.
A growing number of people want to live and work here and a burgeoning group love to visit here. The Chamber should foster the development of the infrastructure to catch up to the demonstrated needs of the community. We need more options for both long-term and short-term stays and there simply are not enough affordable options for home ownership. We have been through several challenging years, but we have come through it stronger and we have so much to be thankful for. Addison County will continue to be one of the best places in the USA to live and to do business.
Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
My biggest source of pride would be our three terrific kids, raised in partnership with my brilliant wife Juli, who is an Infectious Disease physician. (Yes, she has been very busy the past few years!)
Our oldest, Eli, is currently a graduate student at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in their respected Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies program. Jillian is a junior at Bowdoin College working towards her degree, a multi-major path that includes Environmental Studies. Eden is a freshman at Middlebury College and perhaps the most likely of the three to pursue the path of an entrepreneur.
