Lab completes expansion

NEW BREMEN — Just over a year ago, Brookside Laboratories held its groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate and begin the journey of adding 35,000 more feet to its building.

On Tuesday, the journey was realized, as Brookside held its dedication and open house of the new space with over 250 guests in attendance.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to have a tent full of close to 250 people here today,” said President and CEO Luke Baker.

Friends, family, consultants, employees, community members and a slew of others gathered at 200 White Mountain Drive to celebrate the expansion.

“Today is a day of celebration and giving thanks,” Baker told the crowd. “There’s so much that’s gone into this. A lot of blood and sweat over the years and sacrifice by so many people.”

Brookside Labs offers many services including types of agricultural, sports turf and environmental analysis and have been in business for 70 years.

“We’ve had our ups and downs, but the consultant network and the leadership of this organization has put us on a path to where we are today,” said Baker. “They had a vision.”

Currently, Brookside provides analytical services to over 200 consultants around the world and those consultants work with over 6.5 million acres of crops or sports turf.

With the growth the company has seen in recent years, the need for expansion was real.

“This addition was constructed for three reasons. First and foremost, it was to get dedicated lab personnel more space with which to perform their important work for all of us consultants,”

said Peter Maybach, chairman of the board of directors for Brookside. “By doing so, this will alleviate the bottlenecks and increase efficiencies within the lab, along with creating an environment where the best and the brightest want to come to work here.”

Maybach said the second part was to create a professional gathering space for both consultants and their clients.

“Lastly, it’s to demonstrate both the current and future strategic partners that we are both capable and professional in what we do and how we present ourselves,” said Maybach.

“Once you get into the facility, I know you’ll see just how inviting it is and it’s yet another step in building our brand and revealing who we are.”

In 2013, Brookside outgrew its facility in New Knoxville, and Maybach couldn’t help but think of the previous lab when touring the new facility on Monday.

“Considering the constraints and problems that have occurred over the last year due to the virus, walking through the building yesterday, I was overwhelmed because all I could think of was that little lab back in New Knoxville where we actually had to turn sideways to pass in the hallway,” said Maybach. “The lab remains

front and center in my memory because none of you can appreciate what we have here unless you remember where we started.”

Baker, a Jackson Center, native thanked his wife and his son for all the support, as well as his mother and father.

“The hard work, the lessons I’ve learned — it’s all from them,” he said.

State Rep. Susan Manchester (RWaynesfield) presented Baker with a commendation plaque from herself and Ohio Speaker of the House Bob Cupp.

“I always say that I represent the strongest, most supportive communities in the state of Ohio and that is so true as I stand

here today and see the number of people who have come to support you with this expansion,” said Manchester. “I also recognize all the local businesses that have taken part in making this happen, creating more jobs for this area.”

Sara Topp, the executive director for the Southwestern Auglaize County Chamber of Commerce, congratulated Brookside and Amplify on the expansion.

“It’s always great when businesses want to stay and invest in the community,” she said.

Speaking later, Baker said he was overwhelmed by the number of people who attended the open house.

“It’s an amazing experience.

You go back to our humble beginnings and it’s who we are today. We’re still extremely humble,” he said. “The fact that so many people showed up — it was absolutely amazing that so many people took an interest in what we’re doing. And the fact that maybe we touched so many people too and had such an impact on people that would choose to show up is phenomenal.”

The newly created space will allow for more education, networking and community, said Baker.

“It gives us more opportunity to do virtual events, too. We didn’t have any space to do any kind of events before, so now we can do in-person, virtual,” he

explained. “We actually do peer groups within the organization too so those will be meeting here. It gives us the space and the technology to really do all those things. It’s really just about creating more space for the volume that’s coming through. Also we have some new technologies that we are developing too to help push agriculture further into the future.”

The Auglaize County commissioners have signed a resolution related to ongoing lawsuits with pharmaceutical manufacturers compelling them to answer for the opioid crisis.

Commissioners authorized the One Ohio memorandum of understanding settlement with McKesson Corporation to move forward.

Auglaize County has been involved with the lawsuit since 2019. Administrator Erica Preston explained the settlement will only happen if there is enough participation from Ohio counties and that it is still early in the process.

“We are thinking settling now is better than the uncertainty of the future,” Preston said.

“There is no amount of money that can make someone whole from losing someone from opioid addiction.”

One Ohio settlement criteria for counties receiving funds includes opioid deaths per capita. The current structure for that memorandum of understanding gives 30 percent of the settlement to local governments, 55 percent to a regional grant program to be established, and the remaining 15 percent to the Ohio Attorney General’s office.

CCAO President and Licking County Commissioner Tim Bubb released the following statement in support of the proposed opioid litigation settlement under consideration by Ohio local governments:

“As counties across the state discuss joining the proposed opioid litigation settlement, the County Commissioners Association of Ohio (CCAO) shares its support for the proposed settlement agreement. CCAO recognizes that no settlement will ever make whole the destruction wrought by opioid addiction on countless Ohio families. Nor will any settlement fully cover the expenses borne by counties and local governments that have been on the front lines combatting this epidemic for years. However, the proposed settlement agreement represents the best opportunity available to many counties to support treatment and recovery efforts, prevent future addiction, and ultimately save lives in the years to come.

“This settlement marks the first step in rebuilding our counties, our communities, and the lives of those we serve.”