56 Keynotes December 2025 aloa.org Keep Adapting — But Keep the Interpersonal Connections Tex Thompson, CRL, CFL, LSFDI, AMKS Owner, DFW Antique Locksmith “A .I. IS REALLY EAGER TO TAKE MY CALLS FOR me,” as one of my fellow locksmiths recently said. “It wants to get all my customers’ infor- mation over the phone, figure out exactly what key they need, search my inventory to make sure I have it in stock, quote them a price, schedule a service appointment, and tell me what time to show up and do the work.” “What it can’t do,” he continued, “is read between the lines — hear the customer’s tone of voice, notice what they don’t know or won’t say, pick up on the background noises behind them. It can’t report on those little red flags that tell me I don’t want that job.” We were talking about an advertisement for some hot new virtual service, but it also seems like a larger reflection on the state of our industry. Everything is changing, from the products we use and their prices, to the way we do business and how that business finds us. It seems like our greatest collective challenge lies in adapta- tion: learning new ways of working that genuinely do improve our service and our customers’ security, while holding the line on those core elements of our profession that must never be surrendered to the altar of efficiency and convenience. My colleague mentioned above has a top-end mobile phone with all the latest digital tools, but the most important app is the call button that he uses to speak personally with his customers. The pace of change seems dizzying these days, and the future less predictable than ever before. But I would like to believe that as locksmiths, we are fundamentally better-equipped to succeed in an unstable environment. Our circumstances change and change again, often within a single service call. From the agony of the tool dropped inside the door frame to the ecstasy of the just-barely-long-enough mortise cylinder that finally threads, we are constantly and brutally familiar with the art of adaptation. I would like to hope that we will continue to embrace the next Lishi, the next Google Lens, the next game-changing innovation of whatever kind … while also taking care to practice and pass forward the old hand-filing, impressioning, eye-contact-and- firm-handshake skills that get us through on the days when our more sophisticated tools fail us. As human beings, we are never invited to choose tomorrow’s circumstances. But as locksmiths, I believe we have an exceptional aptitude for innovating our way to a good job well done — and a bad one wisely declined. Women Continue to Advance in the Industry Tina O’Donnell Director of Global Strategy for Locking Solutions, Wesco D URING THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE SECURITY industry has undergone a remarkable transformation. When I began my career, many dealers operated out of small kiosks or a small shop, cutting keys and offering basic services. Today, those same dealers have evolved into sophis- ticated integration companies, delivering full-scale solutions that include access control, video surveillance, fire and alarm sys- tems as well as cutting keys. The industry has expanded beyond the opening — our partners are now trusted providers of comprehensive security infrastructure. This evolution reflects not only technological advancement but also a shift in mindset. Dealers are no longer just focused on one or two solutions but providing full security plans; they’re strategic partners helping customers navigate complex security needs.
