aloa.org December 2024 Keynotes 51 What Does Our Future Look Like? If we are going to take steps to bring the new gen- erations into our industry, we need to assess where the industry is going. Is it dying out or going strong? Although Andy Dennison feels like traditional lock- smithing is dying out, he pointed out that he works in his own small corner of the trade and doesn’t see much of the rest of it. Bobby DeWeese somewhat agreed — to an extent. “I don’t know if I’d go as far as to say the industry as a whole is dying. But parts of it are. Again, thanks to the internet. Espe- cially residential. Today, if Joe Homeowner needs to replace a lock on his door, he can just watch a YouTube video and go to Home Depot. Even if he needs his locks rekeyed, very often he can just go buy new locks for less than calling a locksmith. And with products like SmartKey, he can even rekey them himself.” Others were more optimistic. Bill Mandlebaum said, “I do not see the industry dying. It is chang- ing. The keys will not go away for a long time, but keyless is becoming more prevalent.” Bill’s opti- mism was shared by John Kieffer and Jon Payne. John Kieffer said, “I don’t think the industry will ever die out due to the demand for security in all parts of the world, but especially in the area that I work and live in (Washington, D.C.). There will always be a need to secure openings, secure assets, avert liability and create accountability. But the industry must keep up with technology or the sole proprietor locksmith will definitely get bumped to the side by large entities that want to control all aspects of a facility’s needs. Even at the residen- tial level, I see national service providers (NSP) gaining traction.” Jon Payne said that although the industry is in danger of being overrun by the scammers, it is currently doing well. Tom Demont also does not see the industry dying out. “No, the industry is not dying, and it never will as long as we have mechanical locks. And for every electronic locking system, there is a mechanical lock!” Wayne Winton expressed similar optimism and enthusiasm for the future. “The industry has more money pouring into it than ever before! Safes, elec- tronic locks, door operators, and electronic access control systems cost 10 times what mechanical hardware used to and still need the mechanical hardware to function! If you’re not making money in today’s climate, you’re certainly doing something wrong. There’s more opportunity than at any point in history!” Conclusion I asked the questions, and our physical security experts provided the answers. However, it’s up to all of us to act on what we learn. Keep thinking and progressing, and keep our industry moving in a positive forward direction. We can all do our part, even if it’s a small one. Please think about what our industry experts have kindly shared with us. What they have shared has taken decades to learn and is a valuable resource for everyone. A huge thank you to Andy, Bill, Bob, Joe, John, Jon, Tom and Wayne for their thoughts, insights and time. Rick Karas, RL, CFDI, AFDI, started in the locksmith industry in 1983. A licensed locksmith, he has experience with many physical security disci- plines, including access control sys- tems, intrusion detection systems and video monitoring systems. He works in both commercial and institutional settings. Rick owns Phil-Rich Lock, which serves the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. He was named Keynotes Author of the Year in 2023.
