Vermont Information Processing cuts 66 jobs; AI’s role remains unclear

Vermont Information Processing’s restructuring has cost 66 workers their jobs, WCAX reported on October 22. The Colchester software company announced layoffs two days earlier, citing a shift toward teams organized around products. An employee’s account of a company-wide AI push has raised a separate question: whether automation contributed to the cuts.

A change in who owns each product

VIP develops software for beverage businesses, helping distributors such as breweries, wineries and soda bottlers manage sales and tracking data. Seven Days reported that the company employs about 600 people in Vermont. Staff learned of the layoffs during a series of company meetings on October 20, 2026.

In its statement to Seven Days, VIP described the new structure as a way to give products clear ownership and strengthen accountability. It also said the model would direct resources and investment toward the highest priorities for the company and its customers.

The company linked the team reductions to a review of its organizational structure and business priorities supporting that transition. Its October 20 statement did not disclose the number of affected employees. VIP said it was supporting impacted colleagues and would continue investing in people, products and technology.

AI adoption is not a finding of replacement

The employee, who asked Seven Days not to identify them, attended one of the mandatory meetings. They said CEO Andrew Criezis discussed making the company more efficient and product oriented, but did not specify how many people would lose their jobs. The employee recalled a desire for a streamlined approach with AI front and center.

That employee account describes an effort to teach AI tools employees’ work; it does not establish that those tools replaced the workers who were laid off. AI’s role in the cuts remains unclear.