Here in the digital age, we are swamped with paper, much of it containing confidential personal information best left in shreds.

Alex Benskin, a 27-year-old University of Iowa finance graduate with a certificate in entrepreneurship, didn’t waste much time sizing up the business opportunities left behind by paper.

Benskin operates The Shredder, a business located at 339 S.W. Sixth St. in Des Moines, that does as its name suggests. It shreds paper, much of it containing sensitive information that federal privacy laws say must be destroyed.

Other companies offer the same service, but Benskin said he decided to start The Shredder after determining that there was a need for a Greater Des Moines-based company that understood local markets and local pricing.

Benskin said he “piggybacked” off the knowledge and experience of his father, Marty, who has operated a printing company, a recycling business and a development firm. The recycling business offered off-site shredding from the 1970s to the 1990s, when it was sold.

“The industry has taken a few changes since then,” Benskin said.

Operating with one truck and a small crew, for now, The Shredder offers its service on-site. That way there is little chance that secure documents are lost in delivery.

When researching the industry, Benskin learned that most identify thefts still result from looted paper documents.

“Most theft occurs through traditional Dumpster diving,” he said.

With federal laws requiring businesses to protect their customers’ confidential information, The Shredder is picking up new clients at the rate of one to five a week, Benskin said. It hit the bonanza recently, when 15 businesses signed on in one day.

Clients include clinics, real estate management companies, law firms, banks and government agencies. Most customers are in Greater Des Moines, but The Shredder’s truck – another one is on delivery – also travels to Ames, Iowa City, Mason City, Winterset and Omaha. Benskin plans to expand to the Twin Cities.

In addition to paper documents, The Shredder can destroy electronic media, computer towers and hard drives.

“We are building our brand as a security company,” Benskin said.

Editor’s Note: Alex Benskin’s name corrected on April 2.