Keystone Blind Association

Since 1981, we’ve operated Key Enterprises for the Blind (KEY), as a way to find suitable employment for people who are blind or have disabilities. The shredding business that developed under this umbrella is called KEY Document Solutions. We have 8 to 12 employees at the shredding service, and 300-400 total around the state working in our KEY businesses.

For us the work is mostly local. We had a small shredder at first, with 3-4 people a day shredding 50-100 pounds of paper. We had heard of Allegheny, so we invited them in to give us a quote on purchasing a larger machine. In 2010 we bought our shredder [Allen didn’t know which machine – fill this in] and also a baler, to enable us to reap profits from the shredded paper.

Now we shred 300 pounds an hour! It’s become a nice steady business for us, and we’re light years ahead of where we first started. Allegheny provided excellent training so the work is both easy and safe for our employees. They really enjoy the shredding work, as they feel it is professional and they have a sense of accomplishment after completing it.

We are a small operation, but we see lots of room for growth with KEY Document Solutions. We are actively seeking more work in our community, getting the word out. We would love to take on more work and have more employment opportunities for our employees!

We’ve already recommended Allegheny to other companies. The quality of the machine is excellent — it doesn’t break down! Our previous machine had problems, but our Allegheny shredder has held up beautifully. We look forward to many more successful years with Allegheny’s support!

– Allen Connley, Senior VP Operations