Brad and Susan Runyon remember sharing an office in their home utility room beside a washer and a dryer.

Tuesday, March 14, 2000

Brad and Susan Runyon remember sharing an office in their home utility room beside a washer and a dryer. Now they share an office in a 10,000-square-foot building with 40 people, more than two dozen computers and communication lines that link them all over the United States.

The Runyons’ business, L S Services Inc., began in 1992, primarily as a sole-proprietor court reporting service, reporting depositions and public service hearings throughout the local area.

Over the years, L S Services Inc., has grown to provide medical facilities and law firms, but also to government agencies in a seven-state area. They have computers at various locations throughout the United States. L S Services now employs in-house medical and legal transcriptionists, administrative support staff and associates located throughout West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.

Having outgrown their initial office location in South Point, the service relocated last September to a much larger facility on County Road 1. Through use of state-of-the-art automation and dictation/transcription equipment, L S Services Inc. provides 24-hour services regardless of location, as well as operates an Internet Web site at www.mytranscripts.com.

Legal transcription is necessary when judges, attorneys or other legal entities dictate rulings, decisions or hold legal proceedings. Additionally, physicians or other medical personnel dictate case histories, surgical procedures and diagnosis of conditions of patients. A transcriptionist like those employed by L S Services takes the recorded information and types it into a hard copy document. Documents range from one to 900 pages. Each document is time-sensitive and short turnaround times are required.

Confidentiality is crucial in this business and employees must follow strict guidelines that protect client information. The final product, sent electronically, is encrypted to protect the confidentiality during the transfer.

Jamie Steed, office manager for L S Services Inc., said, "L S Services is a family-oriented business that is built on hard work and dedication. Every employee at L S is an integral part of the team. Employees are treated not just as an employee, but as a person. We strive to provide the best working atmosphere for our employees."

Steed came to work for the Runyons shortly after the opening of the South Point location.

In reference to hiring employees, Susan states, "We discussed moving the business closer to Charleston, W.Va., to fill a void in hiring people who possess the necessary skills required for this type of work. But Ironton was where I grew up and South Point is where the home is. We want to stay here locally.

"The type of business we operate is electronically based and can be set up anywhere in the country. However, we choose to stay in the local area and employ people who so desperately need jobs. We might not be an ‘Amazon.com’ yet, but we can offer 20 additional jobs immediately and employ an additional 100 people over the next couple of years."

Recently, Brad Runyon initiated and headed up an on-site training course at the facility. On-site training is offered free to highly motivated individuals who possess excellent English and computer skills.

"It’s hard work, and there’s a lot to be learned," said Runyon. "The qualifications we look for in individuals applying for our training are good typing skills and excellent English skills. Upon successful completion of the training course, people are guaranteed a permanent, full-time position and receive full medical, dental and prescription benefits."

L S Services has committed to providing new full-time employment, as well as job skills training to the community, at a time when nearly 1,000 people have lost their jobs due to plant closures.

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