AccuShred Launches “Shred Cancer” Program to Support

Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northwest Ohio Affiliate

Company introduces Pink Shred Bins to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer.

(Toledo, Ohio, August 16, 2011):  AccuShred, an information destruction and electronics recycling company headquartered in Toledo, has introduced “Shred Cancer”, an innovative program to raise awareness and money to fight breast cancer.  Shred Cancer encourages AccuShred customers to display and use the company’s secure Pink Shred Bins throughout the year for holding their sensitive information to be destroyed, and to make a donation for each bin AccuShred services.  AccuShred will then match the customer’s contribution, with 100% of the money going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northwest Ohio Affiliate.

AccuShred is among the first information destruction companies in the country to utilize secure Pink Shred Bins and its Shred Cancer program is unique in the industry.   AccuShred sales manager Jeff Green believes the Shred Cancer program, with its donation-matching feature, is a great example of how local companies can make a significant impact on their community.  “Breast cancer has affected so many families in this community,” he said.  “By getting a little creative and working together with our customers and the Komen organization, we’ll be able to make a meaningful and ongoing impact on their behalf.”

To launch its Shred Cancer campaign, AccuShred has acquired an inventory of Pink Shred Bins; established a special accounting and reporting system to ensure that all customer contributions are accurately credited, matched and paid; and is actively discussing the program with its customers and prospective customers.  The company hopes to raise even more money by making an additional contribution – above and beyond its matching offer – for any company that first becomes an AccuShred customer before September 25, 2011, the date of the Komen Race for the Cure, the organization’s signature event that attracts nearly 20,000 participants.

Mary J. Westphal, Executive Director of Susan G. Komen for the Cure Northwest Ohio Affiliate thinks the Shred Cancer program is exciting news for the organization.  “We’re thrilled that AccuShred has found such a visible way to support our cause in Northwest Ohio,” she said.  “The more Pink Shred Bins we see at companies throughout the region, the more support we have for putting an end to breast cancer.”

About AccuShred

AccuShred (www.accushred.net) began operation in 2002 and was the area’s first AAA NAID-Certified information destruction firm.  The company provides on-site and off-site document destruction service and is an EPA Approved vendor for electronic waste recycling. AccuShred is a subsidiary of the State Paper and Metal Company.

Area businesses interested in participating or learning more about the Shred Cancer program are encouraged to contact AccuShred toll-free at 800-747-3341 or 419-244-SHRED (7473), or via the company’s Shred Cancer website at www.shredcancer.com.

PHOTO: This photo of a Pink Shred Bin may be used in conjunction with this news release.

CONTACT:

Jeff Green
Sales Manager
(419) 244-7473
jgreen@accushred.net

Toledo-Based AccuShred Acquires Metro Secure Shred

Purchase expands information destruction company’s client base in Ohio, Michigan

(Toledo, Ohio, June 28, 2011):  AccuShred, an information destruction and electronics recycling company headquartered in Toledo, has acquired Metro Secure Shred, a mobile document shredding company based in Temperance, Michigan.  The acquisition makes AccuShred one of the largest privately-held information destruction companies in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan.

AccuShred president Nate Segall cited the additional service capacity his company gains as the most important benefit of the acquisition.  “By adding Metro Secure Shred’s shredding trucks, staff and customers to our existing organization, we can continue to enhance our service levels and stay ahead of the increasing demand for information destruction services.”

The U.S. information destruction industry is growing rapidly, driven by an emphasis on environmental responsibility and a heightened need to protect private information.  As businesses and organizations of all types pursue Green initiatives and compliance with new regulations – the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACTA), and Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) are all examples of recent legislation which impacts how private information must be handled – demand for professional information destruction services has intensified.  With its focus on security and reliability, AccuShred has helped hundreds of entities in the region solve such issues.

Metro Secure Shred’s excellent reputation for service to customers, including the Toledo Police Department and General Motors Powertrain was deemed to be a strong fit with AccuShred.  Mark Seeger, president of Metro Secure Shred, will join AccuShred as an information security professional.

“As demand for information destruction grows, so too will the requirements for experience and professionalism,” said Segall.  “We think bringing Metro Secure Shred into the AccuShred family raises the bar for service excellence and expertise in this region.”

About AccuShred

AccuShred (www.accushred.net) began operation in 2002 and was the area’s first AAA NAID-Certified information destruction firm.  The company provides on-site and off-site document destruction service and is an EPA Approved vendor for electronic waste recycling.  AccuShred is a subsidiary of the State Paper and Metal Company.

Area businesses are encouraged to contact AccuShred Toll Free at 800-747-3341 or 419-244-SHRED (7473) directly to inquire about routine shredding service, one-time purges or computer recycling.

CONTACT:
Jeff Green
Sales Manager
(419) 244-7473
jgreen@accushred.net

“Jeff and Ian come to AccuShred with differing backgrounds but with much in common,” said Segall. “Both are dedicated team members who we can rely upon to help continue growing our business as more and more companies are looking for a strong partner to meet their shredding and recycling needs.”

Green – with a very fitting last name to-be-sure – will serve as the organization’s Sales and Marketing Manager. Previously with Huntington Bank, Green comes to AccuShred with several years of management consulting and marketing experience. He is a proud graduate of Michigan State University and received his MBA from the University of Toledo. Extremely active in the community, Green supports organizations including The University of Toledo Alumni Association, EPIC Toledo and United Jewish Council of Greater Toledo’s Young Leadership Division.

Mikolajczak joins the customer service team as a mobile and warehouse security professional. He is a Toledo native who graduated from E. L. Bowsher High School before joining the U.S. Marine Corps. Stationed at Camp Pendelton, CA for four years, he served in Iraq for two tours of duty and received numerous decorations including the Combat Action Ribbon, Army Achievement Medal and Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal. Mikolajczak will work directly with AccuShred customers to implement the company’s data destruction services.

About AccuShred: AccuShred, LLC provides secure destruction of obsolete files, computer disks, CDs, audio and video tapes, books, X-rays, photographs, uniforms, computer hard drives, electronic devices, security IDs and more. The company provides both on-site and facility-based information destruction services for clients in the Northern Ohio, Southeastern Michigan and Northwestern Indiana areas. AccuShred is the first company in Northwestern Ohio to obtain the coveted AAA Certification, the industry’s highest professional certification for information destruction. In addition, AccuShred is covered by the industry’s only Professional Liability Insurance coverage specifically designed for document destruction service providers. Sensitive customer information is destroyed quickly and securely every time. AccuShred is a division of State Paper & Metal Company, a respected name in the recycling industry for more than 70 years. For more information, visit www.accushred.net.

AccuShred’s Matt Freed and Jeff Green are the two most recent graduates of Shred School, a seminar put on by Total Training Solutions of Spartanburg, South Carolina. The pair spent several days learning about the document destruction industry and enjoying “Southern Hospitality.” The now famous Shred School provides recent start-ups, as well as industry veterans in the information destruction business, sales and marketing tools specific to the shredding industry. The founders of Shred School believe that the success of a growing business centers around inspiration, a great consultative sales and marketing plan, a prospect cultivation plan, and efficient operating procedures.

“What a fantastic opportunity to network with other professionals in the industry,” Jeff Green, AccuShred’s Sales Manager, said. “I’ve been to several motivational seminars, and this, by far, was the most inspirational. I can apply most everything I learned in class today.”

Green not only was a student in the November school, he also spoke to the class about the importance of the Internet and social networking.

Business Development Officer, Matt Freed also felt the experience was invaluable. “Shred School gave me several tools that I can take back to help provide the best customer service I can,” Freed said. “The relationships I made at Shred School are tremendous. I’m now able to call on other professionals in the industry and bounce ideas off of them.”

“Shred School confirmed several things that AccuShred has been doing right for a long time,” Green said, specifically citing the company’s trucks that act as mobile billboards, its strong affiliation with NAID (National Association for Information Destruction) and AccuShred’s monthly newsletter: the Data Destruction News.

In addition to networking with industry experts and vendors, Shred School students learned about setting up personal marketing plans, properly identifying clients’ needs, a history of the document destruction industry and the importance of being NAID-certified. The graduates also had the opportunity to tour the country’s largest product destruction facility.

“It was great to have the AccuShred ‘Mafia’ in class,” said Dean of Shred School Ray Barry. “Nate (Segall) did a great job of getting two quality professionals in Matt and Jeff. They both brought a lot to the table and even taught me a few things. They graduated with flying colors!”

“I’m very excited to see how Matt and Jeff have taken what they’ve learned and have already applied it to our current processes,” AccuShred Vice-President Nate Segall said. “I expect great things to come from them, and if they are a representation of shred school graduates, I would certainly recommend the investment in the program.”

Two of the most talked about topics in businesses today are having a major impact on AccuShred’s profitability and growth. For the fiscal year, which ended on June 30th, revenue rose nearly 50% at the Toledo-based company. Both the movement of companies to become more green, or environmentally responsible, and the rising importance of privacy and data protection fueled the best fiscal year on record for the organization which provides secure destruction of obsolete files, computer disks, CDs, audio and video tapes, books, X-rays, photographs, uniforms, computer hard drives and other electronics, security IDs and more.

In the last quarter alone, AccuShred’s processing volume was over 660,000 pounds or 333 tons, a 38% increase over the same quarter in 2007. The number of pickups the company arranged to securely remove items from client locations and transport the materials to the AccuShred facility for destruction increased by nearly 20% over last year’s number as well. “We have often said our biggest competitor is the company that believes they can handle their own destruction needs with a personal shredder and an administrative assistant,” said Nate Segall, vice president of AccuShred. “Now that more companies are becoming educated about the intricacies of privacy issues surrounding the destruction of their documents and other items – and now that more want to ensure that task is being done in an environmentally-friendly way – we are seeing an increased demand for our services.”

To keep up with this growing demand, AccuShred has purchased two new pieces of equipment. A NEXGEN baler, capable of processing nine tons of paper per hour, will add efficiency to AccuShred’s process, giving the organization capacity for more and larger clients. This baler automates the tying of bales into tighter, hence more secure, bales as well as reduces throughput time.

In addition to the baler, AccuShred has purchased a 2009 UltraShred Shred Truck. The new shred truck will allow up to 12,000 pounds of paper to be shredded at a time. This is a significant upgrade from AccuShred’s current shred truck, which can destroy up to 5,000 pounds of paper at a time.

“As we continue to enjoy success in the marketplace, we will continue to invest in our company,” said Segall. “We would not be able to be in this position, however, without the continued confidence of our loyal customers. We will continue to do what we have been doing to get to this point – and that is by providing outstanding customer service and by having a knowledgable, professional, team-oriented staff.”