From Star Trek to Asphalt Tech: How HMA Built a Loyal Following
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What do Leonard Nimoy, loyalty programs, and asphalt labs have in common?
More than you might think. HMA Lab Supply's Director of Operations, Brian O’Toole, was interviewed on The Hot Mix Podcast to talk about the history of HMA, how you can get great stuff through the customer rewards program, and more.
The History of HMA
HMA was founded right around the year 2000 by a gentleman named John Muhlke, who is very well known in the industry to this day. He worked in the industry for a few decades for a couple of smaller companies (all of which were in the asphalt/lab supply business) before starting HMA Lab Supply.

John started HMA in Richmond and had extensive success. To this day, people talk about him. He developed a saying that became quite well known (“Live long and gyrate”) thanks in part to John’s uncanny resemblance to Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek.
John was known for his quirky sense of humor, from setting up life-size Spock cutouts in the men’s bathroom to goofy (but memorable) product names. There was The Little Tuffy, The Big Daddy, and the Tator, to name a few.

HMA Loyalty Program & Giveaways
Over the years, HMA has created a loyalty program for its customers called “Cosmic Coin”. It’s another nod to John’s quirky humor and the ongoing Star Trek references. It’s free to sign up, and every time a customer purchases something online, they get rewards points, or “coins”. These coins can be traded in for a dollar value towards future purchases or gift cards.
HMA also does special giveaways that happen about every quarter. There are recurring ones, such as Halloween giveaways, and one in July for the summer. To be entered automatically into the giveaway, a customer needs to be a rewards member and purchase something in that month.
According to Brian, one of the most fun things to do is call a customer and let them know they won something, like a brand new cooler, or a Shibumi in the middle of summer (if you live on the coast, you’ll know what a Shibumi is).
Field Service Technicians
Another great thing that HMA has is a team of field service technicians. They can do calibrations, full lab calibrations, thermometers, ovens, and anything in the lab that needs to be done.
HMA also has an engineering team. If anyone has an idea for a new product, the engineering team can help bring it to life.
If you're not an HMA loyalty member, now’s the time to join! Click here to learn more about the program and register.
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💻 Watch the interview with Brian on The Hot Mix Podcast:
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