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Springfield, MO

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Alex Haldiman, left, and Mickey Moore seek controlled growth at Tomo Drug Testing.
SBJ photo by Wes Hamilton
Alex Haldiman, left, and Mickey Moore seek controlled growth at Tomo Drug Testing.

2018 Dynamic Dozen No. 5: Tomo Drug Testing

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SBJ: What’s been the key to your recent growth?
Mickey Moore: It’s been the strategic local, regional and national relationships within our industry, in our communities and with those that we serve. Outside of our traditional workplace-testing model, new interest came from community-based testing programs, including drug court, probation and parole. This ultimately prompted significant growth into additional states.

SBJ: What are the top issues when it comes to managing growth?
Moore: We care so much about culture and our people. But our company grew so quickly that we needed to seek leadership and management skills that, unfortunately, we just didn’t have time to develop internally. What worked yesterday, we’ve learned that that doesn’t necessarily mean that it will work tomorrow.

SBJ: What has the company’s growth enabled you to do?
Moore: Giving. We love serving the needs of others and that shows up not only in serving our clients, the communities that we’re in and also philanthropically, but we love giving to our team, as well. When you experience growth, both in revenue and profitability, it affords you the opportunity to give. This has included Habitat for Humanity, Child Advocacy Center, American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, Ozarks Food Harvest, project graduation in various school districts and Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

SBJ: Is your fast growth sustainable?
Moore: Continuing at the same growth rate, likely not. I believe we’ll sustain this level of growth, and we look forward to continuing our growth – just likely a little more controlled. We’ve learned that it’s not desirable to be everything to everyone, and that includes not just the team members we hire, but also the clients we serve.

SBJ: What makes you dynamic?
Moore: Recognizing the need to stay true to our purpose and niche, but while also finding ways to expand within it. It’s also the willingness to challenge the status quo and, perhaps most importantly, aligning our entire company to our values and our vision. We do run our business recognizing that we’re merely stewards of what we have – what we’re able to do are gifts from God. Had you asked me 20 years ago if I wanted to own my own business, I would say absolutely. If you would have told me it was in drug and alcohol testing, I would have kind of looked strangely at you. However, the blessing in it all has been the ability to turn something like drug and alcohol testing into something that has such meaning and purpose to ourselves and to our team.

SBJ: How have your goals changed as the business has taken off?
Moore: We set a 10-year “Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal,” or BHAG, in 2013. It’s a term coined by author Jim Collins. It was exciting for us to reach that goal four years early, which will happen this year. With that expectation and expanded team, we just recently set our next 10-year goal.

SBJ: What’s the worst business advice you’ve received?
Moore: That growth is good. It sounds strange sometimes to say that to people, but we’ve learned that being everything to everyone for the sake of growth is bad for everyone. It creates chaos; it challenges our structure and our values. Not all growth is good.

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