One of the many things that I find enjoyable about my work is the opportunity to engage with local business people. Since Job One is such a hybrid organization (more on that in a minute), I learn so much about running a business from the relationships I’ve developed with leaders from many diverse industries. Luckily, Job One is a member of the Grandview Chamber of Commerce, Independence Chamber of Commerce, Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce and Lee’s Summit Chamber of Commerce. This allows for ample opportunity to network and build friendships that help Job One in several ways, including obtaining new customers for our various lines of business.
Job One has a social mission to provide jobs for people with significant disabilities and we are able to do this because of our ability to run competitive businesses with services that consumers demand. Essentially, we utilize a hybrid of for profit and not for profit business management practices.
Nowhere is this ‘hybrid’ more evident than at Shred One KC (Shred One KC). Shred One KC is a NAID AAA certified provider of secure document shredding. We manage several hundred customers in the public, private, and government spheres. Shred One KC employs roughly 30 individuals with disabilities who perform a variety of tasks such as: running routes with our drivers, sorting paper, shredding paper, material handling and baling.
Shred One KC is located in an underground storage facility that is nearly 50,000 SQ FT in size. The atmosphere is very energetic with tippers, sorting conveyors, shredders, balers and material handling equipment aiding the workers to sort, shred and bale thousands of pounds of paper each day. We take pride in running this program in an efficient, effective ‘bbusiness-like manner, while keeping our mission in mind. Employees at Shred One KC express a high level of job satisfaction due to the variety of jobs, constant activity and higher levels of pay.
Often times when I meet business people at a chamber event I offer to give them a tour of our Shred One KC facility and the reaction is always the same; they are surprised at the level of activity, mechanization, volume of paper and efficiency on display. I believe this has the effect of humanizing the employees who work at Shred One KC. Rather than being a place that provides jobs for people with disabilities, it is just a ‘real business’ proving that disability need not always limit productivity, or ability to work in a highly dynamic environment.