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December 29th, 2011
Maintenance Supervisor Ron Seibel keeps UV&S running. He’s in charge of keeping all of the forklifts, stockchasers, golf carts, bikes, vans, back-up generators, air conditioners and a lot of other things serviced, repaired and running smoothly. And there are a lot more of just about all of those things than there were when he started working here 30 years ago. 
Ron initially heard about the job at UV&S because he knew Mike Gingerich, who was, at the time, president of the company. He describes his time here as “entertaining,” and contends that one of the best changes that has taken place at the company during his tenure is the addition of a Bobcat that allows he and his team to pour concrete without having to haul it around in a wheel barrel.
When not at work, Ron likes to spend time hunting with his dog and remodeling the house. Thanks, Ron, for 30 great years.
Posted in Employee Spotlight | Comments Off
December 22nd, 2011
Companies that collect sensitive personal information have a legal duty to keep that information secure and to dispose of it properly. Not upholding that duty has serious consequences as evidenced by a $1,000,000 fine levied on one company by the HHS and FTC.
Unfortunately failing to dispose of information sensitive material in the correct way is not an uncommon occurrence. Dataloss db, an organization that tracks and lists incidents of improper data disposal shows that this type of bad behavior is becoming a serious threat to privacy and security.
Businesses need to plan for the entire life cycle of documents and files that may contain information sensitive material — from origin to eventual destruction. If you need help developing a plan or have questions about what types of documents require special consideration, speaking with a trained document management specialist is a good place to start. The cost of implementing a plan for proper disposal is much less than the fine for doing it wrong.
Posted in Destruction and Shredding, Storage Compliance | Comments Off
December 21st, 2011
 Mike Sipe, Facility Manager at our Louisville, KY location, was fresh out of the Navy and looking for a job when his parents mentioned a family friend who worked at Underground Vaults & Storage. They said she must like working there, as she had been doing it for 22 years.
He applied for a job and was hired as a records management clerk. When he got home from work on his first day, he had a message from another company that wanted to hire him for an extra 25 cents an hour, but he decided to stay and see how things worked out. Twenty years later, he’s still here.
One of the craziest things Mike has seen since he’s been here is a Hummer that was converted into a stagecoach.
When not at work, Mike spends his time playing with power tools. In his quest to do anything to stay outdoors, he spends a lot of time working on projects around the house and claims it’s NEVER too cold to cook on the grill.
Congratulations on 20 years Mike. We’re glad you didn’t take that other job.
Converted Hummer photo courtesy of 21C Museum.
Posted in Employee Spotlight | Comments Off
December 14th, 2011
We recently posted about the secure storage of valuable baseball cards. A recent story in the Salina Journal brought the issue of secure storage front and center. A break-in at a Salina storage unit resulted in one person being robbed of “a collection of about 15,000 football, baseball and basketball cards valued at $3,000, and a stamp collection valued at $2,000.”
We hear these types of horror stories in the secure storage business and we see it as our mission to help people prevent this from happening to their valuables. Our hearts go out to the victim of this crime.
For the rest of us, this should serve as a reminder to review our storage plans and make sure that we are protected.
Posted in Fine Art and Artifact Storage, Underground Storage | Comments Off
December 14th, 2011
When accounts receivable clerk Kathy Burroughs first started at Underground Vaults & Storage all of the invoices were still typed by hand. Her first paycheck was in the first computer-generated payroll. UV&S has grown a lot since then, and the types of materials clients store in the mine have began a major shift from hard copy to digital.
Kathy started her career at UV&S after applying for a secretarial job that she didnʼt really want and ending up getting the accounting job she really did want. Her first trip down into the mine ended up being a bit of a Marilyn Monroe moment as an updraft from the mineshaft wrapped her skirt around her head. It took her a while to live that down, but weʼre happy to help her relive the moment.
An avid history buff, Kathy was excited when she was invited to witness the opening of a crate of very old newspapers being stored in the mine. The first paper she saw had a front-page story of The Monitor and The Merrimac, the first iron clad warships of the American Civil War. One paper reporting the assassination of Abraham Lincoln is now on display at the Kansas Underground Salt Museum.
Kathy and her husband have recently moved into a new home and are happily busy with the obligatory projects that seem to accompany new homes. They have five children and 11 grandchildren, three of whom are in the military.
Congratulations Kathy for 25 great years with Underground Vaults & Storage.
Posted in Employee Spotlight | Comments Off
November 29th, 2011
A few weeks ago the people of Oklahoma felt the effects of the state’s largest earthquake on record. As far away as Illinois, people felt the tremors. Not long before that, the people of Washington D.C. were surprised by a little ground shaking of their own that was felt all along the eastern seaboard.
The damage caused by both of these events was pretty minor, as long as you weren’t one of the few people who no longer have a house, but more than a few were surprised at witnessing an earthquake at all. This wasn’t in California. We’ll take our natural disasters in the form of funnel clouds, thank you very much.
The fact is a network of fault lines covers much of the United States. And while some areas, like California, are located on some of the more active fault lines, you would be hard pressed to find a spot where the risk of an earthquake is completely out of the question. Similarly, tornadoes aren’t limited to that strip of land we affectionately call tornado alley.
We’ve discussed some of the things you can do to prepare for the possibility of a natural disaster , and if you don’t already have a plan and emergency supplies on hand, you should make it a priority. And if you need help developing a plan for protecting your important documents to ensure business continuity, give us a call. It’s the disaster you least expect that is the most dangerous.
Photo: Vehicles and debris line a canal in Ofunato, Japan, following a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Matthew M. Bradley/Released)
Posted in Disaster Recovery | Comments Off
November 22nd, 2011
How long do you need to keep old records? Well, it varies. There are the fairly standard IRS rules to live by, but some industries have additional guidelines and regulations. Some feel that the best answer is to “keep everything forever.” Because of space and legal issues, this causes more problems and should be avoided.
It makes sense to try and find the record retention schedule for your specific industry. For some, that may simply be the IRS guidelines.
For others, more specific industry retention schedules may be in order. Here is an example of local government records retention schedules.
Finding retention schedules for your specific industry shouldn’t be too difficult, but you may want some additional confirmation that you have all the bases covered. If you need help putting a records retention plan in place, we’d be happy to help.
Posted in Destruction and Shredding, Records Management, Storage Compliance | Comments Off
November 17th, 2011
Here at UV&S, we can connect you with Certified Records Managers to help you formulate strategies, set objectives, assign tasks and more. But what exactly is a Certified Records Manager? 
Records management, or RM, is the practice of maintaining the records of an organization from the time they are created up to their eventual disposal. This may include classifying, storing, securing, and destruction (or in some cases, archival preservation) of records.
Many colleges and universities offer programs that cover records management to one degree or another, but the Certified Records Manager distinction requires a separate, non-degreed professional certification.
The Institute of Certified Records Managers has this to say about the certification process:
Attaining the CRM designation is based on educational background, professional work experience and the passing of a six-part examination.
The six-part examination is divided into:
- Part 1 Management Principles and the Records Management Program
- Part 2 Records Creation and Use
- Part 3 Records Systems, Storage and Retrieval
- Part 4 Records Appraisal, Retention, Protection and Disposition
- Part 5 Technology, Equipment & Supplies
- Part 6 Case Studies
Read more about Certified Records Management certification here.
Posted in Records Management | Comments Off
November 15th, 2011
This week we are catching up with our friends from the Association of Moving Image Archivists at the AMIA Annual Conference in Austin, Texas. Jeff Ollenburger and Kerry Sue Underwood will be in booth #14 November 16 through 18.
We will be joined by our partners at 2G Digital Post. You won’t want to miss the demonstrations of 2G’s patented 6D Virtual Library system.
The conference schedule is packed with great sessions on moving image preservation and archiving. These are right up our alley. We’ve grown to secure more film and sound elements than any company in the Western Hemisphere. “It’s a wrap…send it to the Salt Mine,” has become a familiar phrase in the film and television industry.
Film and sound archiving is a very specialized field. There are many factors to consider when developing an archiving plan, including:
- Overall cost of storage
- Ease of retrieval or alternative access
- Disaster protection
- Theft protection
- Environmental barriers to preservation
Want to learn more? Stop by and talk with Jeff and Kerry Sue, or drop us a line.
Posted in Events, Film Storage | Comments Off
November 15th, 2011
To Larry Carter, it seems like only yesterday he got out of the Air Force. Now he’s celebrating his 20-year anniversary with UV&S. 
Facility Manager for our Topeka office, Larry enjoys the fact that his job allows him the opportunity to talk and work with a wide variety of people in different industries and with different backgrounds.
Larry likes to stay active, refinishing furniture and playing Pickle-ball in his spare time. So, what is Pickle-ball? It’s somewhere between tennis, badminton and table tennis. And if that definition is a little too vague for you, take a look at www.pickleball.com for a little more information. Larry plays with a group that has gone to tournaments in Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka.
Congratulations Larry for 20 years of dedicated service. We hope you stay for many more.
Posted in Employee Spotlight | Comments Off
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