West Michigan Women
Fueled by her passion for safer workplaces, roadways and communities, Andrea Owens created HourGlass Testing Solutions—a business offering same-day, onsite-collection, and management of workplace drug and alcohol testing programs.
West Michigan Woman sat down with Andrea to learn more about her vibrant spark for life and the work HourGlass Testing Solutions does in the community.
With the goal of building lasting relationships and helping employers maintain a drug-free workplace, Andrea Owens works with the notion that there is not a single approach to the field of drug and alcohol testing. She hones in on the needs of each employer through careful listening and responds to their needs.
And always with a smile.
“You think you’re going one way … And life changes, your course changes. It’s been amazing.”
WMW: Tell me about yourself!
AO: I’m a born and raised Grand Rapids native and come from a large family of seven. I started out my professional career as a medical assistant—many moons ago—and from there went back to school to get my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Management and Leadership from Cornerstone University.
Currently, I wear a lot of hats: I’m an educator at WMCAT, where I teach the medical billing program—which I love. I’m also a Success Navigator, which basically translates into me helping our students get into the program, walk them through their externship opportunities and transition into their careers. Additionally, I’m an adjunct professor at Cornerstone. I’m blessed to be able to go back to where it all began! It’s been awesome. I also own and run my own business, HourGlass Testing Solutions.
WMW: What is HourGlass Testing Solutions all about and what inspired you to create it?
AO: HourGlass Testing Solutions specializes in onsite drug and alcohol testing for HR, logistics and safety managers in the manufacturing and transportation industries. We also provide resources within the drug-testing industry, such as training and education for employers and their employees, consortium work, and supervisory training for those managers.
The idea stemmed from an accident that my mother endured years ago at the hands of someone who was under the influence. That experience cultivated the thought process of creating a safer workplace, safer roadways and safer communities—and not wanting people to ever have to be involved in something like that.
For example, the transportation industry reaches every corner of a community, whether its through buses or trains and it must be done safely. That’s the heart of why I do what I do.
