NEW BREMEN — The Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce had another good year, Executive Director Logan O’Neill said during the 2016 Annual Meeting Tuesday.

He reported that the total income in 2015 was $103,922.52, with membership dues comprising about 69 percent of that. Right now the chamber is working towards the industry standard of 30/30/30, which would mean 30 percent membership dues, 30 percent programs and other revenue sources, and 30 percent of non-membership dues revenue.

“We’re working towards that model so that way we are not 100 percent dependant on those membership dues. So we’re developing programs and developing new avenues for us through non-dues revenue sources so we can continue to grow that and spread,” O’Neill said.

Over the last two years the chamber has experienced growth of 20 percent each year. The total amount of assets the chamber has hovers right around $60,000, he said.

“The net-worth of the organization over the last couple of years has been growing , so I think that shows that we are doing a better job of controlling income and expenses. But also doing a better job of promoting our programs and getting out with our members, listening to them and seeing what they need and then developing programs to fit those needs,” O’Neill said.

He said, we’re going to continue to push for engagement with our members in 2016. We want to listen to what you have to say.

The board has recently updated their guidelines to allow for business in other communities to be involved if a person from it lives in their coverage area. O’Neill said this will help them connect with other communities outside of their Minster, New Bremen, and New Knoxville focus.

The chamber has also implemented a strategic plan and focused their mission statement and goals for 2016.

In 2015 the chamber gained 15 new members, bringing the amount of business in the chamber up to 315 members.

Also at the meeting several awards were given out to outstanding businesses and business people.

The Cornerstone Shop received the Community and Business Pride Award, Jerry Merges received the Outstanding Businessperson of the Year Award, and Lots for Soldiers received the Special Achievement Award.

The featured speaker at the event was Karen Pierce from Working Partners. She addressed the group about drug testing in the workplace.

She explained changes in legislation and ideology that businesses need to pay attention to, because they will ultimately affect them.

“Things change and we need to change with it, but there really are ways to manage these risks,” Pierce said.

She discussed the increase in rates of positive drug tests. The national rate for workplace drug testing had been going down until 2012. From 2012 to 2013, the rate of positive tests went up by 4.35 percent. Then from 2013 to 2014, the rate went up by 9.35 percent, Pierce said.

“We are seeing more and more people test positive at the workplace,” she said. The culprits are cocaine, amphetamines, including methamphetamine, and heroin.

From 2011 to 2014, they saw an 100 percent increase in workplace positive tests for heroin.

She discussed how the negative stigma of marijuana is slowly fading away, and with it’s legalization will create more things for businesses to pay attention to. She also noted the rise in use of painkillers and how many work place drug tests don’t test for those, including Vicodin and Oxycontin.

Pierce offered some final advice to the business representatives in attendance, “Our task is to stay alert, realize what the changes are, and then make sure we are doing things to manage that change.”

** In a previous version of this article a fact was incorrect. From 2011 to 2014, they saw an 100 percent increase in workplace positive tests for heroin. Not cocaine, as stated previously.**