ARCPOINT LABS
• Address: 3365 East Flamingo Road, Suite 4, Las Vegas
• Phone: 702-451-5434
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: lasvegas-nv-metro.arcpointlabs.com
• Hours of operation: 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday
• Owned/operated by: Jimmy Platt
• In business since: 2009
Describe your business.
We provide confidential drug, DNA and alcohol testing. We also offer telehealth services.
What is your business philosophy?
We strive to be the very best, by constantly adapting, modifying, reinventing and improving every aspect of the business so it thrives in our fast-paced, continuously evolving world. Drug and DNA testing is plagued by the stigma of poor customer service and is seen as an extension of the medical field as a whole. At ARCpoint Labs, we strive to treat all clients with respect, not only when it comes to punctuality but also in terms of treating people like royalty. The client is king and should be treated as such.
How has your industry grown over the past decade?
Technological advancements constantly develop and redefine the industry. One such example is telehealth. Specialists, medical practitioners, pediatricians and dermatologists now can consult and prescribe treatment and medication from the comfort of their own homes in a matter of minutes. I believe the smartphone apps and computer accessories being developed, and even those currently offered, to assist teledoctors are the biggest advance in human health since antibiotics.
The increasing use of medical marijuana is becoming prevalent, too.
Because of these progressions, accessibility has caused a reduction in expenses. A wide range of DNA testing is available, and the Pharmacogenomics DNA test, which allows doctors to know an individual’s susceptibility to a wide range of drugs, now is available for less than $400. At one time, only the wealthy and well-insured had access to this incredible advance in science; now, it’s offered to the masses.
What’s the most important part of your job?
Being accurate and reliable is a fundamental part of the business because our clients have to be able to trust the result. A simple test result could affect the custody of children. An immigration DNA test could result in a family member being stranded abroad. Every part of the process has to be invulnerable.
What is the hardest part about doing business in Las Vegas?
Las Vegas is heavily regulated. The core of my business is a franchise, and there were many hoops to jump through that do not exist in any of the other states our franchise is located in. Many of the rules are irrelevant to improving the safety or quality of our lab. Having been involved some years ago as a state contractor, many barriers had to be worked through when it came to opening a business. Once all of the licenses are in place, it seems as if the goal is to stop everyone else from entering the market.
Look at Uber as an example. Every city in every nation regulates cabs for obvious reasons. Uber satisfied everybody else yet took much longer to come to Las Vegas. The taxi companies stopped the monorail going to the airport and almost succeeded in stopping Uber. I think Las Vegas is stuck in the 20th century and needs to acclimate.
What have you learned from the recession?
My entire life, real estate had always maintained or improved in value. But many of my hardworking, careful friends lost homes they had worked hard to obtain. What I’ve learned is that there are no guarantees. Those who adapt will survive.