Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce membership dropped slightly in 2025 from the previous year, but the chamber finished the year in the black, chamber members learned at the board’s annual Membership Meeting Thursday, Jan. 15.
Executive Director Lagea Mull reported that the chamber has 148 members, down slightly from 157 at the end of 2024.
“That is industry-wide,” she told board members. “They’re seeing retention being hit. That is fairly common, but I’m still not pleased with it.”
The 148 include 31 new members, she noted.
“We still have people coming on. There’s so many people that see the value of it, and we’ll just continue to add more to the list.”
Mull also reported that the chamber ended up nearly $8,000 in the black, which was 97% of its financial goal for the year.
“That is good movement forward,” she said.
“We actually made $3,316 renting out chairs and tables to community members,” she added, noting that she has some regular customers who rent equipment every year.
“It’s just a service for our members and the community at large,” she said.
Another positive, Mull said, was that the chamber was able to purchase a printer and a large conference table from the Oregon Jamboree headquarters.
“I really appreciated them investing in us as an organization by giving us such a good deal and this increases our ability to advertise and what not,” she said. “And then, also, this giant table: Now we can all fit around it and not have to snuggle up so much.”
Mull reported on various events sponsored by the chamber during the year and said the Parade of Lights and Gingerbread House events at Christmas were successes.
“We had 20-some entries and people had fun doing it,” she added about the gingerbread contest, noting that the youngest contestant was 3.
She credited city Public Works and Police staffers for helping the chamber make them happen.
“They are really a treat to work with,” she said, “just great partners.”