There is a new type of shredding for the Gorge! With our abundance of wind, water and snow sports, shredding has resulted in radical sporting moves...but with the start of the document destruction business of Gorge Security Shred, the only shredding company located in the Gorge, “to shred the Gorge” has another connotation. Gorge Security Shred, a division of Opportunity Connections, is now fully operational. The idea for a document destruction company came from Rita Rathkey, executive director of Opportunity Connections, a nonprofit organization serving people with developmental and physical disabilities. Rathkey has spoken with administrators of many similar agencies across the state about ways to provide gainful employment for their participants. The process of starting this shredding business is a good example of the local resources available to help implement a business idea. Initially, Opportunity Connections received a grant from OIB, the Oregon Investment Board, which allowed Opportunity Connections to hire Linda Griswold of Griswold Marketing to study the market and develop a shredding business plan. Griswold worked with Guy Moser of Columbia Gorge Community College's Small Business Development Center to develop the business model. Last year, Tri-County Hazardous Waste and Recycling awarded Gorge Security Shred a $57,636 grant that allowed the company to purchase additional machinery, install a high security system and cover additional costs. other start-up costs. The purpose of the grant was to support a business whose operations would reduce resource use, prevent an increase in waste going to landfill, and create jobs. Rita Rathkey, executive director of Opportunity Connect...... middle of article ......ent of Environmental Quality, for the recycling points earned. The destruction of the material takes place within three working days following collection. All shredded materials are compacted into 1,000-pound bales and 100% recycled at a Washington pulp mill and processed into other paper products. Gorge Security Shred encourages companies to only destroy what is confidential. Recycled whole sheets of paper retain their longer fibers and can be reprocessed into higher quality paper products. A certificate of destruction is issued, confirming the destruction of the material and is returned by post to the customer along with an invoice. For the month of April, Gorge Security Shred will have processed more than 8.5 tons of documents. There you have it, that’s “throat ripping”! For more information about the company, search them on the web at www.gorgesecurityshred.com or call 541-490-7078