"Rewards for a Job Well Done"

 Even back in 1988 it was hard to find Allegheny pre-owned equipment because it was in such demand. We happened to come in contact with a bank that had decided to get away from doing its own shredding. They sold us their equipment and allowed us to handle their shredding for them. The Allegheny shredders we purchased used in 1988 are still running today.”

 John Walsh, Vice-President and co-founder of St. Louis Data Destruction, started his company in 1985. As one of the first shredding services in the area, the company found a market ready for expansion.

 “We recognized the need in the metropolitan St. Louis area for document destruction,” John says. “I'm not going to say that the company was an overnight success, but through time and diligence we've grown to become the largest shredding company in Missouri. We now have fifteen employees, seven trucks, and a client base of about 1,400 accounts—and we're continuing to grow.

 “I started the company out of a bedroom in my home,” John reminisces. “ I had one truck, and I was doing both the shredding and the marketing myself. Eventually, I gained a number of nice-size accounts. On any given day, after I completed the work on these accounts, I'd go out cold calling. I'd visit people's offices, invite company officers out to my truck, and let them see what I had to offer. They were very receptive, and away I went.”

 In 1987, John's father, Ken Walsh, Sr., joined the company along with John's brother, Ken Walsh, Jr. A year later, St. Louis Data Destruction moved into its first off-site shredding facility, a 6,000 sq. -ft. warehouse. “We purchased pre-owned Allegheny shredders,” John says. “It was hard to find their used equipment because it was in such demand, but through my father we happened to come in contact with a bank that had decided to get away from doing its own shredding. They sold us their equipment and allowed us to handle their shredding for them. They sold us the machines out of friendship with my father, really, at a price we couldn't refuse.”

 John notes that the Allegheny shredders he purchased used in 1988 are still running today. Of course, he's added additional equipment as the company has expanded, including several shredders used exclusively for product destruction.

 “With the help of my father, my brother, and several key employees, we started St. Louis Data Destruction at an opportune time,” John says. “We've grown year-by-year, client-by-client. Now our momentum is outstanding, and we're looking forward to continuing success.”

 John will soon celebrate his 19th year in business—and he has no desire to leave the industry anytime soon. “We've built a long-term relationship with out clients, and they've put a lot of trust in us. We've been aware of the larger companies coming into town, but we know what we have and what we're capable of doing. We feel confident that we can outshine other companies in service, performance, the quality of our personnel, the relationships we form with our clients, and our ability to do many different things. These qualities have served us well over the last eighteen years, and they'll continue serving us in the future.”

John Walsh, President
St. Louis Data Destruction
St. Louis, Missouri.

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