LAFAYETTE – Blackbird Clinical Services has been named Small Business of the Month by the Greater Lafayette Commerce.

Who better to ask than a client about a business? For Blackbird Clinical Services, 2 Executive Dr., Suite D (www.blackbirdclinicalsvs.com, 765-447-8700), which provides professional lab work for area employers, among other services, the reviews say it all.

 “Knowledgeable, professional and fantastic to work with,”Trent Johnson at State Farm says of the firm founded in February 2009 by Kimi Hathaway and Erin Munn, who had previously worked together.

“Quick and efficient in their processes,” adds Juanita Ingle at voestalpine Rotec Inc. “The staff is always a pleasure to work with, even at 7 a.m.”

 And “easy and affordable to work with,” says Kier Crites, director of development at Food Finders Food Bank.

 Those kind of kudos and a nomination by Jen Ewalt at Tippecanoe County Child Care earned the business the Greater Lafayette Commerce September Small Business of the Month Award.

 Offering a Range of Testing, Exams

 Blackbird’s services include drug testing, DNA collection, physical exams for Disability Determination Evaluations for the State of Indiana and others, pulmonary function testing, biometrics testing, EKG services, TB testing and background checks. And it provides onsite workplace services, such as flu vaccinations.

 “Our primary customer is employers,” Munn says. “We work directly with them.”

 Besides the local area, their services have taken them to Rensselaer, Crawfordsville and Indianapolis.

 Accreditation by the Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association and staff certified in DNA collection and management “ensures the highest level of integrity and confidentiality,” the owners say.

 ‘The Kind, Dependable Clinic’

 What sets their business apart, the owners believe, is their warm and inviting setting, core values and a motto that reflects both: “The Kind, Dependable Clinic.”

 The business, certified as an Indiana State Women’s Business Enterprise, employs three full-time staff, three part-time physicians, and “We often have an extern and a few PRN phlebotomists and nurses on staff,” they report.

 “The situations we deal with are often very delicate, and a kind word and friendly smile go a long way in relieving some of the tension and, often times, embarrassment that go hand-in-hand with our business,” they say.

 “I like the challenge of it,” says Munn, a Jefferson High School and Vincennes University graduate. “Being a business owner is the most challenging and the most rewarding job. We’re able to pick up new services, reach out to new businesses, get the satisfaction of being experts in our field and hear from clients about how happy they are with our services. All that’s pretty fulfilling.”
 
 It was Hathaway who first suggested the two launch a business. “We took the plunge, and it turned out pretty great. If you struggle a little, you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and keep going forward,” she says. “We’ve accomplished more than we set out to, so we’re setting new goals now.”

 Born in Kokomo and raised in Rossville, Hathaway is 15 hours shy of earning her Purdue degree.

 Community Service a Top Priority

 Service to the community is one of their core values.

 Munn serves on the board of Home with Hope, and Blackbird contributes services to the agency. The clinic also sponsors the Indiana Fiddlers’ Gathering and provides volunteers. And it supports the Almost Home Humane Society and Food Finders Food Bank, by sponsoring “Fight the Flu and Hunger Too,” which provides discounted flu shots to those who donate food.

Their latest endeavor is Hathaway’s involvement with the Wellness Council of Indiana and plans to help Lafayette achieve a Well City certification by mentoring and coaching local companies in the AchieveWELL certification process.

 “They are professionals in their field and strive to provide much-needed, affordable medical services to our community,” Crites at the Food Pantry adds. “They do this with unparalleled enthusiasm while keeping true to themselves and their mission.”