L.A. Records provides storage, document shredding, disaster recovery, data entry and imaging services.

Two years ago, L.A. Records Management Inc. decided to revamp itself and become a full-service records and information management company with a special focus on acquisitions in the West and Midwest markets, CEO Bill Quiros says. “We started off in 1993 as a box storage company,” he explains. “We realized two years ago that if we continued on that route, we would be irrelevant in five years.”

The company provides storage, document shredding, disaster recovery, data entry and imaging services for a wide variety of clients, from doctor’s offices to Fortune 500 companies. Most of its competitors, he says, offer only one service while L.A. Records aims to be a one-stop shop.
Because it offers a variety of services, Quiros says, the company experienced a 35 percent revenue increase and 20 percent growth in clients in 2007. “We believe we will grow significantly in the next 36 months through acquisition in various industries, such as vault and electronics imaging,” he adds. L.A. Records Management is looking at opportunities in California, Nevada, Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, Kentucky and Illinois. Currently, L.A. Records operates only in Southern California.

It also plans to invest in robust data systems “that meet world standards for the maintenance of data, with solutions that help companies comply with legal requirements,” Quiros says. “Along with acquiring systems, we plan to obtain educated personnel that can deliver full answers to problems.”

The company is also looking to expand its client base and offer services to small and large businesses. “You can hardly walk into a place that doesn’t have a computer,” he says. “I think it’s important to understand everyone needs our services.”

‘Full Solution’
One of L.A. Records’ goals is to run its clients’ computer systems. Most companies’ operations are dependent on their in-house hardware and software applications, which run continuously. In the event of a disaster, such as an electrical surge, water leak or natural disaster, it would be difficult to get a new server and reload. In-house systems also heighten the risk of data theft, Quiros adds.

L.A. Records plans to provide a secure data center to ensure its clients’ hardware would always be operational. “At the end of the day, clients would be able to run their businesses knowing they have security,” he says.

The company also wants to help customers minimize paper use. For example, it plans to offer services that process documents digitally, deliver invoices online and eliminate data entry.
“That results in [cost] savings and time,” Quiros says. “It also saves on paper and the handling of stamps. Our goal is to offer a full solution for the organization.
“At the end of the day, what differentiates us is our combination of customer service and client care, vision of what clients are going to need and delivering those services in a cost-effective manner,” he says.

Ensures Security
To ensure confidential documents are safe, L.A. Records conducts criminal background checks as well as random drug testing on all 80 employees. “Security of information is of utmost concern,” Quiros says.

All company vans have GPS tracking systems. Employees have a picture ID that is required to be worn whenever they are off-site, he says. Clients are also required to have IDs when employees come to pick-up or drop-off storage, he adds.

A client’s materials continue to be monitored once they reach one of L.A. Records’ three facilities in Southern California, he says. All facilities are under surveillance and locked down 24/7, and only certain employees and escorted guests are allowed to enter.

Also, all facilities are “normal-looking buildings” so people do not guess their contents, he adds.