Editor's Letter

Contemplating Change

As we embark on a new year, it’s an excellent time to take stock of the past and to plan for the future. The year ahead will likely bring unforeseen changes for some, while some will realize their long-term goals. But the feeling of potential and possibility that each new year brings is a feeling to savor.

However, contemplating change doesn’t always bring with it the excitement of future potential. For instance, Norm Brodsky, the subject of this issue’s cover story, found himself wrestling with the idea of change as the new year approached. Brodsky, owner and CEO of the document storage company CitiStorage and the document destruction company U.S. Document Security, is weighing the idea of selling his businesses—businesses that he and his partners have built from the ground up. His involvement with these companies represents considerable economic, personal and emotional investments, so you can be certain the decision is one that he and his partners are not taking lightly. Brodsky acknowledges that it’s a difficult and emotionally fraught process, as I’m sure it is for most business owners who find themselves in the same position. And undoubtedly, many entrepreneurs in the document destruction industry have been faced with that decision in the last few years, as a number of firms were acquired by national players, such as Iron Mountain, Shred-It, Recall and Cintas.

Some of these entrepreneurs may have gone into the industry initially with the thought of selling out to a large, national player, but Brodsky says he had no such scenario in mind. And with Brodsky’s goal of improving the lives of his employees and the Brooklyn community where his companies are located, the decision takes on additional meaning, as it could potentially affect the corporate culture that Brodsky and his partners have built.

I’m eager to learn what Brodsky and his partners will eventually decide. In the meantime, I hope you’ll enjoy the story of his journey to this point and the advice he has for budding entrepreneurs in the information destruction and archive industries.

As you may have noticed, SDB has made a couple of staff changes, and what better time to make changes than the beginning of a new year.

In his new role as editor-in-chief, Brian Taylor will be responsible for setting the long-term direction of all of Recycling Today Media Group publications, which also include Recycling Today and Construction & Demolition Recycling. It’s a formidable task, but we know he’s up to the challenge.

In my new role as editor of SDB, I hope to immerse myself in the archive and document destruction industries over the coming year. Those of you who attend industry events can expect to see a lot more of me, and I invite you to search me out to discuss the issues that are affecting you as professionals in these industries.