OceanTech + City of New Brighton Success Story

How a Local Government Found Peace of Mind with Compliant ITAD Services

The Challenge

The City of New Brighton, serving a population of 22,000-23,000 residents with about 150 full-time staff, faced the complex challenge of managing IT asset disposal while meeting strict government compliance requirements. "Local government is small compared to state, federal, county,“ explained IT Manager Nick Kriz, “So we do have significantly less funding than a lot of those other agencies to meet all of our requirements."

Beyond compliance, the city required a solution that would eliminate the administrative burden of traditional government asset disposal methods, such as auctions and their associated paperwork.

Most importantly, the city needed assurance that sensitive data, including items associated with law enforcement retirements and emotionally sensitive cases, would be handled with utmost discretion and professionalism. The city needed a partner who could handle sensitive government asset destruction while ensuring proper chain of custody and adhering to NIST compliance standards, which had become even more critical as FBI and CJIS systems adopted those guidelines.

The Solution

OceanTech provided the City of New Brighton with a comprehensive, local ITAD solution that addressed all their unique requirements:

Local Partnership & Responsiveness: As a local provider, OceanTech offered quick response times and the convenience of easy drop-offs when needed, with local drivers who could reach the city quickly.

Comprehensive Compliance: OceanTech provided all necessary certifications to handle government asset destruction, ensuring NIST compliance and proper chain of custody documentation.

Streamlined Process: Instead of complex auction procedures, the city simply loaded all equipment into boxes during a single visit. OceanTech handled everything from pickup to final disposition.

Complete Documentation: The city received detailed asset lists with serial numbers and certificates of destruction and data destruction formatted to meet the required documentation standards for government audits.

Discretionary Service: For sensitive situations, OceanTech provided personal service that allowed retiring officers to witness the secure handoff of delicate materials, ensuring peace of mind.

The Results

The partnership has delivered significant value across multiple areas:

Operational Efficiency: "It's wonderful to know that I can just literally dump everything in a big box. It all goes to you. I get an asset list. I get serial numbers," says Kriz. The streamlined process eliminated complex auction procedures and associated administrative burden.

Compliance Confidence: With certificates of destruction stored in their data retention system, the city maintains complete audit trails without worrying about verification of electronics recycling compliance.

Cost-Effective Solution: The service was competitively priced while delivering superior value through reliability and comprehensive service.

Peace of Mind: Beyond standard services, OceanTech's handling of sensitive situations demonstrated the level of discretion and professionalism that sets them apart.

Strong Advocacy: The partnership has been so successful that Kriz actively recommends OceanTech to other organizations through the League of Minnesota Cities forum, contributing to new client relationships like Dakota County.

The Bottom Line

As Nick Kriz puts it: "Anyone that needs an electronics recycler that is safe, reliable, and effective should consider OceanTech." The seven-year partnership demonstrates how the right ITAD provider can transform a compliance challenge into a competitive advantage, delivering not just proper asset disposal but genuine peace of mind.