There are many important events that occurred in 1986.
It was the year The Oprah Winfrey Show debuted nationally. The year the first “Goodwill Games” took place in Moscow. Halley’s Comet’s second visit to our Solar System in the 20th Century, getting closer to Earth than ever before. Hands Across America was held. The Soviet Nuclear Reactor exploded. The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded only 73 seconds after lift-off.
In 1986 a gallon of gas was only $0.89, the average cost of a new house was $89,430.00, and the average monthly rent was $385.00. These numbers are mind-blowing when we think of how they compare to today’s numbers.
That same year, something else happened that made a huge impact on my life. 1986 was the year that Southland Data Processing was born.
Our Origins Story
I didn’t know then how the year 1986 would forever change my life, the life of the SDP team members, and our clients.
Southland Data Processing was formed through the entrepreneurial spirit and generous hearts of Peter and Elizabeth Carroll. They built for SDP a foundation of serving partners with unrivaled performance and inspiring those we serve to be of service to others to create a positive impact.
Today, our team continues to march to this same heartbeat. I am hopeful that you have experienced this from our people. As I’m sure you’ve heard us say countless times, we are in the people business. Payroll just happens to be the vehicle in which we serve our people.
If you are reading this, I hope you know that you are our people.
Even now, our founders’ love for people is at the heart of SDP. You see, way back in 1992, they brought on their first two employees, and I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
30 years after and 35 team members strong, SDP continues to be a growing organization with over 1600 partners all over the US with the majority in California and Texas.
35 Years Later
As we celebrate our 35th Anniversary, the SDP team and I are reflecting on our humble beginnings, how we grew through the Alpha Beta “Tell a Friend” method, and our shared belief in the power of human connection to build the relationships we have with our valued partners, our clients.
We buy into the basic human need to be known and seen. It’s a driving factor in how we serve our clients.
So what all has SDP accomplished in the past 35 years? Here’s a snapshot of our evolution.
- 1992 – DOS-Based “Rapidpay”
- 1996 – Windows 16 Bit Millennium
- 2000 – Web-Based Payentry
- 2014 – SDP Connect Development Began
- 2016 – SDP Connect Early Adopters
- 2020 – All Technology Users on Connect
My hope is that you know how much thought and care our team has put into the creation and development of SDP Connect.
As we’ve built out the platform, our top priority has been meeting your needs. This has led to the creation of some pretty powerful features like Workflows, Custom Time Imports, a Mobile App, General Ledger, Integrations, Harassment Prevention Training, and a PPP Forgiveness Module.
And we’re not done yet. Looking ahead, we are excited for what our future will bring. Things like a redesigned interface, enhanced report writing and analytics, updated accrual functionality, and expanded alerts and notifications are right around the corner.
Looking Ahead To 2022
As we continue to move forward, we understand that collaboration with our partners is an essential part of our future.
It is in that spirit that we remain committed to involvement in industry associations and constantly looking for ways to improve our technology. Ultimately, our goal is to create efficiencies for both our internal team and you and your business to provide you with the very best business solutions.
During this holiday season as we continue to rise together above the pandemic, I am reminded just how much we have to be grateful for.
As I write this, my heart is heavy that the world is not yet fully reopened. However, I am optimistic that we will be able to connect more in person soon.
It may feel odd at first, but I look forward to the day when I can have a face-to-face conversation with you, shake your hand, and give you a hug “hello” or “goodbye”. Until then, please continue to be well, remain safe, and cherish every moment with those you love.
Thank you for allowing me to reminisce about our history and for trusting us with your business. Your partnership is so important to me and our SDP team. From all of us here, we wish you the happiest of holidays.
– Renita J. Bess, President & CEO of Southland Data Processing