Welcome the National Drug Screening (NDS) company spotlight. This month’s spot light is on Tom Fulmer, VP of Business Development.
Here What Tom has to say by clicking on the video. Below are some additional interview questions wtih Mr. Fulmer.
Tom joined the National Drug Screening Team in the 4th quarter of 2015 as Business Development Manager and in February of 2016 was promoted to VP of Business Development. Prior to joining NDS, Mr. Fulmer was a Professional Speaker, business consultant, and head trainer for a company he founded in 2007 but this was not his first venture as an entrepreneur. Since 1994, Tom was the key person in several other startup companies in a variety of different industries including power equipment, Mortgage Lending, and Tennis.
Q: Tom, you have had your own companies in some very different industries and consulted with many more; so what lead you to National Drug Screening?
TOM: I am the kind of person who loves a challenge, a changing dynamic in the work I do directly and in the industry. I was not seeking out drug testing as a career move; in fact I had not even considered it. What I was looking for was a new challenge. It was just coincidence or maybe it was just meant to be that I ran into Joe Reilly, President of National Drug Screening, at the Tennis Club one night. I have known Joe for many years through our mutual business connections and activities with the Chamber of Commerce and other organizations. I happened to mentioned I was looking to make a change and Joe said let’s catch up for lunch. A couple of months later, I had a new challenge.
Q. You mentioned that you like a challenge. What has been the biggest challenge so far?
TOM: I guess the biggest challenge was getting up to speed on the industry. I was coming into something completely new and different. Business Development is something I have been doing for a long time, but learning the regulations which do vary greatly both from state to state and for federally regulated testing, from agency to agency; well that was a challenge. And since there are many changes proposed, pending, and trending, keeping up with them is something I work on daily.
Q. Sitting in your office, I noticed you have quite a number of qualifications and certifications for someone that has been in this industry for such a relatively short period of time. How have you accomplished that?
TOM: I believe that if you are going to do something, you should do it to the best of your ability and that is what I am doing; what I strive to do every day. Joe offered me the position on a trial basis working about 30 hours a week so we could both make sure it was the right fit. Well I worked a “few” more hours than that on my own getting up to speed. When I came on Board Joe really encouraged me and gave me some great learning opportunities through webinars, sitting in on trainings, attending industry conferences for DATIA, FTA, and HR. Basically, every certification and training that I could meet the requirements for I have completed. I have my sights set on a few more as well. Currently, I am a CPC and CPCT (Certified Professional Collector Trainer); I have completed train-the-trainer qualification courses for DERs (Designated Employer Representatives), DOT Supervisor/Reasonable Suspicion Training, FTA Drug and Alcohol Program Management, SAPAA (Substance Abuse Program Administrators Association) Training, and a few more that escape me at the moment. I will also be serving on the DATIA (Drug and Alcohol Testing Industry Association merged with NDASA in 2023) Legislative and Regulatory Committee.
Q. You sound pretty busy these days. Have you been traveling much or are you coming up?
TOM: Busy is very accurate. Joe has done a great job in putting this company together and setting it up for success. We have been so busy that we have hired several new team members and have another starting in a couple of days. I expect this to continue…in fact, part of my job is to make sure that happens. Over the past 3 months I have attended 2 week long DATIA conferences (Houston and Las Vegas), the FTA conference in Sacramento, The Space Coast HR Conference, and numerous other 1 day conferences and trainings. It has been a busy schedule but the education, experience, and industry connections have been positive beyond my expectations.
Q. Joe, what are your thoughts about Tom coming to work for National Drug Screening?
JOE: (Joe Reilly, President of National Drug Screening)
We are delighted to have Tom Fulmer on board with our rapidly growing company. Tom has the leadership experience to help our team grow to the next level while providing great service to our customers. With double digit growth over the last year, it was so important to add Tom to our professional management team. We are very fortunate that Tom Fulmer has rapidly gained an understanding of the workplace drug testing industry and he will be a great asset to our organization and to all of our clients throughout the United States.
Q. Last question, Tom, what do you like best about working with National Drug Screening?
TOM: That would be tough to answer with just one thing. I mean that sincerely. I enjoy going to the office every day. Working with an amazing team who feels the same way and takes personal pride in the success of the company and the success of the rest of the team. I enjoy expanding my knowledge, helping clients overcome challenges, conducting training for our team and our clients. I enjoy the shared mission and vision. Really, I have to thank Joe many times over…My job is composed of all the things I enjoy most. Can’t ask for much more than that.
To contact Tom about Drug Testing, Training, or to inquire about speaking engagements or interview requests, please call 866-843-4545 x107.
