Shredding

Entrepreneur,  Dec, 2005  by Nichole L. Torres

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SHREDDING: With identity theft on the rise, shredding personal information is de rigueur if companies are serious about protecting clients. And since the Fair and Accurate Credit Transaction Act went into effect in July--requiring businesses that possess records with consumer information to properly store and dispose of them--companies small and large have increasingly been outsourcing shredding.

There's so much interest, the National Association for Information Destruction has grown from 170 to 700 members in less than four years. And the need for quality shredding services will likely increase in the near future, according to Robert Johnson, executive director of NAID--especially if Senate bill S.1408.passes in 2006. That's the Identity Theft Protection Act, which would mandate document destruction for even more businesses. "With detection, apprehension and prosecution [of thieves] being so difficult, prevention is one of the only ways to fight [identity theft]," says Johnson.

Setting her company apart from the crowd is Michele Moody, 47, founder of DocuGuides Secure Shredding in San Antonio. Moody, who launched her business in 2002, focuses on security with high-quality shredding equipment that essentially pulverizes materials, which she then recycles. She's built yearly revenues to $400,000 by promoting not only the security she offers, but also her environmental commitment--she plants a tree for every client who shreds and recycles 100,000 pounds of paper.--N.L.T.

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