Upon returning to Smithers after earning his MBA, Mike became Vice President of Management Consulting. His idea for an ISO certification service had not advanced much, but in 1993, he launched Smithers Quality Assessments, the company’s first subsidiary. It became the newest certification body for ISO 9000 Series standards. Mike and Bob Moyer (hired from Goodyear to write quality manuals) worked to build the business, revise manuals, and draft a business plan. After obtaining accreditation, Smithers Quality Assessments quickly became successful by focusing on accurate, on-time assessments and offering a customer-centric approach.

In 1996, ISO introduced the ISO 14001 standard for Environmental Management Systems (EMS). Smithers quickly adapted to this new standard and became accredited in the same year, further expanding its capabilities to meet evolving global needs. Later that year, Mike Hochschwender became President and CEO of Smithers Scientific Services, with his father, Herman, remaining as Chairman of the Board. Mike focused on diversifying the company beyond its reliance on the tire and automotive industries. He believed Smithers core competency of enabling scientists to succeed could be applied across various industries, which proved to be a successful strategy, protecting Smithers from economic downturns in any one sector.

In 2000, Mike’s international influence grew when Malcolm Copley, the head of RAPRA, approached him about potentially purchasing RAPRA, a company limited by guarantee (meaning it didn’t have shareholders). Six years later, Smithers would acquire RAPRA and add it to the Smithers Group name, further solidifying its global reach.

Mike’s expansion strategy also led him into the life sciences sector. Although his father and Dr. Robert Springborn had previously discussed potential acquisitions without success, Mike’s interest in life sciences grew from his background in biology and industry predictions about the field’s rapid evolution. In 2002, Smithers acquired the environmental toxicology portion of Springborn Laboratories, which had labs in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and Ohio. The acquisition was a success, and Smithers expanded its capabilities in environmental and mammalian toxicology.

Despite initial skepticism from some of Smithers internal team members, Mike’s vision was clear: “Smithers is a science company.” In 2003, the Smithers Group was formed, incorporating Smithers Scientific Services, Smithers Quality Assessments, and Springborn Smithers Laboratories. Retaining each company’s established name helped maintain their reputations while positioning Smithers for growth in diverse industries.

Following the acquisition of Springborn Laboratories, Smithers began expanding its medical device and pharmaceutical testing services. Smithers Synomics Pharma Services was launched to meet increasing client demands for chemistry testing of medical combination products. This was part of Smithers broader push into pharmaceutical bioanalytical testing, a move influenced by Mike’s interactions with industry leaders like Ira DuBey, who would play a key role in guiding Smithers into this new sector.

Tragically, on April 28, 2005, Mike’s father, Herman Hochschwender, passed away. Although Herman would have been surprised by Smithers’ growth under Mike’s leadership, Mike believed his father would have expected it, given his long-term vision for the company. Mike’s leadership continued to shape Smithers into a diversified, science-driven company with a global presence, setting the stage for its future success in various industries.