There’s being ahead of the curve. And then there’s being four DECADES ahead of the curve.
Shredding, archiving and recycling experts Russell Richardson was established in 1978 as a family-run paper recycler.
Still bearing the name of the founder and still 100 per cent controlled by the family, Russell Richardson has evolved into one of the UK’s leading document management and confidential shredding companies.
Today, the company provides a variety of services such as on or off-site document shredding, document archiving, textile and uniform destruction, hard drive shredding (on and off-site), electronic media destruction and IT recycling.
But 50 per cent of the business is still bulk paper shredding and recycling, as Director Emma Moorhouse explains:
“We’ve come full circle in a lot of ways as customers are definitely thinking about sustainability and environmental issues more and more.”
With an increase in demand for recycling services – shredding more than 1,000 tonnes a month – has led to major investment from Russell Richardson.
Last year – when the GDPR regulations imposed tighter rules – the firm invested £165,000 in a ‘super-shredder’. The multi-tasking mobile shredding truck can destroy confidential paperwork at a client’s premises, as well as data-packed computer hard drives, CDs and memory sticks.
And earlier this year, further expansion saw them add to their growing fleet of collection vehicles with the addition of a brand-new shred tech mobile shredding truck. The second truck is capable of shredding up to 2 ½ tonnes of confidential waste per hour at customers’ premises and is a further £170,000 investment.
“The investments are in response to increases in output we can keep up with demand,” says Emma.
“Customers who had used our paper services were also asking about general office recycling services like plastics and food waste so we have now got a broker service for different waste streams which means a complete container, collection, recycling and disposal service for all waste, fully managed by Russell Richardson.”
And demand is high – with recycling at Russell Richardson more than trebling in the last five years.
No wonder a new home was needed earlier this year, with a £1 million investment in a state-of-the-art facility on Park House Lane in Tinsley. The relocation has enabled the company to combine the shredding, archiving and recycling divisions within the high security 50,000 sq ft site.
Emma added: “Now we’ve got the new facility and equipment we have the infrastructure in place to continue the next stage of our growth – customer interest is not slowing down by any means.”
