Stor-a-File

What Stor-a-File does

Stor-a-File Limited is a UK-based document management specialist founded in 1977 and headquartered in Syston, Leicestershire. The company provides four integrated core services — offsite secure document storage, document scanning and digitization, digital mailroom data capture, and confidential shredding — delivered through eight wholly-owned operational sites spanning London (Tilbury), West Midlands (Birmingham/West Bromwich), East Midlands (Leicester, Nottingham, Northamptonshire) and Surrey (Camberley). It serves NHS trusts (40+ served), local authorities, financial institutions including HSBC, and private-sector businesses across the UK, with public sector and NHS identified as its primary vertical.

The technology stack centres on Kofax Transformation for OCR/OMR/barcode-based intelligent document capture, supplemented by proprietary oneilCloud (O'Neil Records Management System) for end-to-end box tracking with full audit trails. Specialist capabilities include large-format scanning up to 46 inches wide, microfilm and microfiche conversion (16mm/35mm), preservation imaging via the MicroFormat sub-brand, and scan-on-demand retrieval meeting GDPR 30-day subject access request windows. The company holds ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 14001, BS EN 15713, and BS 10008 certifications and is a re-awarded ESPO #390 Lot 2 framework supplier.

The business model combines recurring subscription revenue from tiered storage contracts (20 boxes to 5001+ boxes, monthly or annual billing) with professional-services revenue from one-off scanning, digitization, and data capture projects, plus recurring or ad-hoc shredding contracts. Go-to-market spans field-based enterprise sales with dedicated account managers, inside sales via a 0800 number and website Quick Quote feature, client portals (ONEILORDER, RSWeb.NET), and public-sector framework procurement. Stor-a-File is privately held by the Cockbill family; Simon Cockbill has served as Managing Director since 1997 and is the second-generation family leader. Growth has been internally funded through acquisitions (Clarks Archive 2018, KGS Associates 2020, RADS 2021) and freehold facility expansion.

Name

Stor-a-File

Legal name

Stor-a-File Limited

Website

https://storafile.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stor-a-File is a UK document management specialist providing offsite storage, scanning, data capture, and confidential shredding to 40+ NHS Trusts, local authorities, and private businesses across eight UK branches.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Document Management Services

NAICS

Libraries and Archives (51921), Document Preparation Services (56141), Other Business Service Centers (including Copy Shops) (561439)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)

akta.pro primary industry

Secure & Vital Records Storage (Fireproof, Disaster-Recovery, Chain-of-Custody) (TLALALAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Records Digitization & Archiving (Legacy Files, Retention Support) (BPAAAKAG), OCR, ICR & Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) (BPAAAKAB), Confidential Document Destruction & Secure Recycling (Shredding) (IMAIAFAO)

Keywords

• Document storage
• Document scanning
• Confidential shredding
• Data capture
• Records management

Headquarters

HQ city

Syston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Document Storage Services: Offsite secure document storage with tracking, indexing, and retrieval capabilities. Revenue generated from monthly/annual storage fees based on number of boxes stored.
2. Document Scanning Services: Digitization of paper documents including standard scanning, microfilm/microfiche conversion, large format scanning, and NHS health record digitization. Pricing based on volume and document type.
3. Confidential Shredding Services: Secure destruction of confidential documents with certificate of destruction. Offered as ad-hoc service or regular scheduled collections with locked bins/consoles.
4. Data Capture Services: Digital mailroom processing, survey/questionnaire management, barcode recognition, and data analysis/reporting services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stor-a-File provides offsite secure document storage, document scanning and digitization, digital mailroom data capture, and confidential shredding services to public and private sector clients across the UK. The company manages over 10 million files and storage boxes across eight branches, offering specialist services including NHS health record digitization, microfilm/microfiche conversion, and document preservation. Services are delivered through an integrated platform combining physical storage facilities, GPS-tracked collection vehicles, and cloud-based records management software.

Product overview

Stor-a-File is a national document management specialist offering a portfolio of integrated services centered on four core offerings: Document Storage (offsite secure storage with tracking), Document Scanning (digitisation with OCR and indexing), Data Capture (digital mailroom processing with OCR/OMR/barcode extraction), and Confidential Shredding (secure destruction to BS EN 15713 standards). The company provides specialist services including NHS Health Record Digitisation (with partnerships with leading EDM solution providers), Document Preservation for historical records via MicroFormat, and Microfilm/Microfiche Scanning. Their Full Service bundle combines collection, storage, scanning, data capture, shredding, and recycling into one end-to-end solution. Add-on services include Cloud Document & Scan Service for remote access and Scan-on-Demand for rapid retrieval. The company operates seven wholly-owned freehold storage sites across the UK (Leicester, Nottingham, Birmingham, London, Northampton) and utilises Kofax Transformation for document classification and extraction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MicroFormat: Preservation imaging services division, leading service provider for preservation imaging in Europe

Products and services

• Document Storage Offsite secure document storage with tracking and management for files and storage boxes across multiple sites, offering advanced indexing, retention date tracking, and next-day delivery retrieval. Designed for organizations needing to safely retain, track, and manage large volumes of physical records.
• Document Scanning Professional document scanning services that convert paper files to digital formats (TIFF, PDF) with OCR, indexing, and online hosting, enabling disaster recovery, space savings, and efficient retrieval. Includes large format scanning up to 46 inches wide.
• Data Capture Digital mailroom capture technology that processes surveys, questionnaires, returned mail, and forms using OCR, OMR, and barcode extraction, providing data analysis and reporting services for organizations with high-volume data entry needs.
• Confidential Shredding Secure document destruction service compliant with BS EN 15713:2009, featuring collection in tracked containers, industrial cross-cut shredding (capacity up to 4 tonnes per hour), and recycling into tissue and cardboard products. Offered as ad-hoc or scheduled service with locked bins/consoles.
• NHS Health Record Digitisation Specialist document scanning services for NHS trusts covering health records, GU/HIV clinic records, pharmacy records, HR files, oncology records, and radiology records with clinical display requirements. Delivered with 35+ years of NHS experience and partnerships with leading EDM solution providers.
• Document Preservation Historical document imaging and preservation services converting fragile paper-based records to digital formats, delivered by MicroFormat (part of Stor-a-File group) with expertise in microfilm-to-digital migration.
• Microfilm Scanning Conversion of microfilm (16mm and 35mm rollfilm), microfiche, aperture cards, and large-format plans to digital formats, with format conversion capabilities including CD, DVD, and back to hard copy.
• Full Service Bundle All-in-one document management solution encompassing collection, storage, scanning, capturing, shredding, and recycling - a complete end-to-end service from document intake to destruction.
• Cloud Document & Scan Service Online secure portal enabling customers to request documents to be scanned with searchable index and view/download facility, providing remote access for home workers and distributed teams.
• Scan-on-Demand Service On-demand scanning service for retrieving archived records quickly within the GDPR 30-day subject access request timeframe, with next-day delivery option for stored records.
• Data Tape Storage Data tape storage service offered by Stor-a-File as a separate selectable service option in their Quick Quote form, providing secure offsite storage for data backup tapes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 million+ files and storage boxes managed across multiple sites
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Leading EDM Solution ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationStor-a-File has partnerships with leading Electronic Document Management (EDM) solution providers to offer true record granularity in healthcare sector digitization projects. These partnerships enable integration between Stor-a-File's scanning services and EDM platforms for seamless document management workflows.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Restore plc: UK-based document management and secure records services group offering storage, scanning, shredding, and digital services to public and private sector clients. Direct competitor with larger scale and public listing, operating similar service lines to Stor-a-File including NHS-focused offerings.
• Shred-it (Stericycle): UK secure document destruction specialist offering confidential shredding services to businesses. Directly competes with Stor-a-File's shredding service line, serving similar enterprise and SMB customers with comparable BS EN 15713 compliance standards.
• EDM Group: UK-based document digitization and data capture specialist serving public sector and enterprise clients. Closely comparable to Stor-a-File's scanning and data capture service lines, including NHS and local authority work, with similar intelligent document processing capabilities.
• Crown Records Management: UK document storage and records management specialist serving NHS, legal, and corporate clients. Directly comparable offering of offsite storage, scanning, and secure shredding with similar UK geographic coverage to Stor-a-File.
• City Records Management: UK-based offsite document storage and records management provider serving London and surrounding areas. Direct regional competitor to Stor-a-File's London/Tilbury operations with comparable storage and shredding service offerings.

Emerging players

• Microgen (formerly MicroFormat competitor): Document management and digital transformation solutions provider for financial services and public sector. Comparable to Stor-a-File's data capture and digitization services, with overlapping EDM platform integration capabilities.
• Document Logistix: UK document management software and services provider focused on electronic document management (EDM) solutions for regulated industries. Adjacent to Stor-a-File with software focus rather than physical storage, but competes for NHS digitization and EDM integration projects.

Broad incumbents

• Iron Mountain Incorporated: Global leader in storage and information management services, offering physical records storage, digital scanning, secure shredding, and data management. Provides identical core services to Stor-a-File but at much larger scale with extensive UK operations and broader enterprise portfolio.
• Recall Holdings: Global information management company offering physical and digital document storage, scanning, and secure destruction services. Provides the same integrated service portfolio as Stor-a-File but at international scale, competing for large UK enterprise contracts.
• Civica UK: UK software and services company serving public sector with document management, EDM, and records management solutions. Comparable NHS and local authority customer base to Stor-a-File, with broader software portfolio but overlap in document digitization and EDM partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/storafile
• Facebookfacebook.com/storafileofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stor-a-file

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stor-a-File