Celebrating 25 Years of Augusta Data Storage
In addition to celebrating 50 years of our parent company, Ellefson Transportation Group, Augusta Data Storage is proud to be celebrating 25 years of bringing record management solutions to companies across the Augusta, GA area.
From the time the Ellefson family opened up shop in the Augusta, GA area in 1967, they focused solely on moving and storage services. As the Augusta area continued to grow, they continued to see needs for relocation and storage of not just household goods, but also office facilities and business centers, especially when it came to storage for paper files and archives. Already having a background in warehousing and storage, the Ellefsons went to work on developing a new business segment which would cater to these needs and in 1992 Augusta Data Storage, Inc. was formed.
In their 20+ years of servicing the Augusta, GA area, prior to opening Augusta Data Storage, the Ellefsons were very aware of the role that medical services played in the Augusta area. “Hospitals, Clinics, Labs and Physician offices all generate many types of medical records. We quickly realized that there was a need for records management services and focused our efforts to accommodate the healthcare industry,” said Brian Ellefson, current President and CEO of Ellefson Transportation Group. According to Ellefson the initial startup of the company was much easier than most start-ups. Since their Moving & Storage business was established and successful, their transition into a new business segment was able to build upon the existing resources and equipment as well as the existing business relationships, which helped keep start-up costs at a minimum and helped them get their foot in the door with many local medical offices and facilities.
In building their business model they focused primarily on the needs of those businesses who would need their services 24/7/365; hospitals, clinics, and other medical practices needed the storage space, but they also needed quick and reliable access to their off-site records. “We provided 24 hour on-call services, purging and file relocation services and assisted many facilities in organizing their existing file rooms,” noted Ellefson; “As we continued to provide these services, we quickly evolved as the premier records management service provider to the healthcare industry in our area and our business took off!”
The business has definitely done a lot of growing up over the years. In addition to managing the ever-changing security and compliance requirements of the records storage and medical industries, the business has also had to adapt to changes in how information is created and stored. In addition to those changes, their facilities have experienced a few growth spurts over the years, the largest coming in 1997 when they relocated from their original office location to their current location on Mike Padgett Highway. This facility offers 100,000 sq ft of warehousing and storage space to split between the moving and storage and the record management businesses. The record storage segment saw another growth spurt in 2004 with the construction of a Shred plant for their document shredding segment, added in 2002, and expansion of their current warehouse space to create extra file storage space to keep up with the growing demand for their services. Flash forward to 2017 and the Augusta Data Storage team is at it again, this fall they expect to open their new 26,000 office space and storage facility, adjacent to their current facilities.
Of all the growth and changes Augusta Data Storage has experienced over its 25 year history, Ellefson says he is most proud of the team he has built. “I am proud of our employees and the pride they have in what has been accomplished here,” he says. “Augusta Data Storage has a strong reputation and is known for its quality, reliability and integrity. Our reputation is the result of the commitment and hard work of a great team. I am proud of what we stand for here and how well we support each other. We are a family.”
Over the years, Augusta Data Storage has continued to grow and evolve with the information industry and in response to continued changes in information storage and security needs. Their business line now includes a variety of services from NARA compliant records storage and management, mobile and plant based shredding operations, E-waste solutions, document imaging services, and file purging and relocation services. No matter your need, it is apparent that in their 25 years, Augusta Data Storage has developed one of the most well-rounded record management operations in the C.S.R.A. and the future looks even brighter!