Each year for our Know Your Distributor issue, Locksmith Ledger profiles several distributors. This year, Anixter and Stone & Berg took the time to answer our questions. We thank them for their help.
Anixter
Q: What makes you different from other distributors?
Anixter doesn’t just pick, pack and ship, we’re focused on working with our locksmith customers to help them grow their businesses efficiently. We do this by supporting them with continuing education, providing access to the widest array of technologies in the industry, providing world-class support from our Technology Support Services team and bundling our time and cost-saving supply-chain and inventory management solutions with their product purchases. In 2019, we launched Locking Solutions by Anixter to further highlight these services and benefits, which are the result of combining the experience and expertise of Clark with the world-class solutions of Anixter.
Q: What’s your strength?
Listening to our customers! We take input from our customers and develop solutions to help them meet their needs. It helps that the Locking Solutions team has more than 2,000 years of combined industry experience and is able to deliver the widest array of security solutions available, from locksmith supplies to video surveillance, electronic access control and accessories, intrusion and fire systems, safes and much more.
Q: What are your most requested products?
We’re seeing an increase in key management, restricted keyways and mechanical key replacement. Many end users are starting to understand that mechanical keys, particularly those that aren’t restricted or are out of patent, are a vulnerability for them. Mechanical keys aren’t going away during our lifetime, so it’s important that we educate the market on all available options to address these needs.
Q: Is there a shift in the industry?
There’s a blurring of the lines going on these days between the locksmith, security integrators, data-com and electrical contractors. As systems converge and increasingly use the IP network, more resellers are moving outside of their historical focus areas and expanding their capabilities to get more of their customers’ security opportunities.
Q: What partnership benefits do you provide to the locksmith?
Anixter provides an industry-leading loyalty program called MyAnixterRewards, which rewards locksmiths for activities, such as completing training and purchasing products from Anixter. Popular locksmith brands in the program include Allegion, ASSA ABLOY and dormakaba. When paired with supplier programs, such as the ASSA ABLOY MSC program or the Allegion Partnership program, the locksmith can earn double the rewards that they would have by buying those goods elsewhere. Locksmiths can redeem points for anything from tech gadgets to clothing and accessories, event tickets and dream vacations. There’s something for everyone! And points don’t expire for active MyAnixterRewards accounts. We also work with our locksmiths on training around new-product technologies and supply-chain services to help save them time and money on their projects.
Q: Is there new-customer growth?
We’ve seen continuous growth for the past 10 years, much of which has been driven by new customers or existing customers looking to expand their offering with the complementary and peripheral solutions that we provide.
Q: What training do you provide?
We provide training information and formats to suit different customer needs, including local branch training sessions with manufacturer partners across our 50+ locations and city-specific seminar events, as well as online training through Anixter University, so our customers can fit training around their schedules.
Q: How do you compete with online product sellers?
Anixter provides customers with an omnichannel model to purchase from us, whether it’s online, at our branches or over the phone. In addition to our digital solutions, we also provide our customers with differentiated value that isn’t available from online product sellers. Demand-creation activities that drive opportunities to our channel partners provides substantial value, as do the services that we provide. Anixter’s installation-enhancement services help to reduce time and risk at the job site, which can enhance profitability as well as differentiate the locksmith, because they’re able to complete projects faster. Services include kitting and labeling to reduce nonproductive labor time spent locating and gathering materials on a large job site. For video surveillance products, we can assign the IP addresses to cameras, perform DOA testing and firmware updating, labeling, painting and mounting in our warehouses, which drives efficiency for our customers, because they can deploy technicians more effectively.
Q: Do you stock any DIY products?
We provide many of the home-automation brands, such as Ring and Nest. However, we believe this to be a large opportunity for the retail locksmith market because of the time and knowledge needed to install these devices.
Q: How would you describe the overall strength of distribution today?
There are many distribution options available to the locksmith industry. The strongest distributors are those providing differentiated value to their customers, because selling solely on price is a short-term strategy. We know the price has to be right, but we also must add value for our customers to help them differentiate themselves, increase profitability and grow. From our industry-best sales team and installation-enhancement services to our inventory management solutions and e-commerce tools, Anixter is well-positioned to support the locksmith industry for years to come.
Stone & Berg
Q: What makes you different from other distributors?
Stone & Berg has been in business for more than 100 years and has been a part of the security hardware industry since the 1960s, when we opened our account with Schlage Lock Co. We’re a fifth-generation family business that takes great pride in the relationships that we’ve built with both our customers and vendors over our many years in business.
Q: What’s your strength?
We take a customer-focused approach to business. Our goal is to be a powerful resource that our customers can use whenever necessary. The Stone & Berg sales force is capable and will track down difficult-to-find products, research your questions and deliver necessary documentation on a given item or opening solution.
Q: What are your most requested products?
Classroom security has, of course, become a focus in the country over the past couple years, and as laws develop, we receive more demand for classroom-intruder levers and mortise locks with indicators. We also have seen growth in proprietary keyways, as more security professionals seek key systems that can’t be copied at local hardware stores.
Q: Is there a shift in the industry?
In the age of Amazon, e-commerce has become the norm and is a great benefit to consumers and distributors alike. This also makes price shopping extremely easy for consumers, which is felt by dealers, distributors and manufacturers alike. Although it makes for a streamlined research and ordering process, it comes with its drawbacks and negative effects on the industry as well.
Q: What partnership benefits do you provide to the locksmith?
At Stone & Berg, we know that if our customers are successful, we’ll be as well. That’s why we provide exceptional customer service, training classes at our facility and no minimum order with same-day shipping on any stock order placed by 5 p.m. When it comes to landing a larger job, we’ll work with you to get the best pricing, all related documentation, accurate lead times and scheduling to ensure that your project is neatly laid out when the time comes to move forward. Should any issues come up with an order, we have a return policy that’s simple and quick, because we understand that mistakes happen.
Q: Is there new-customer growth?
Although we’re opening new accounts, we don’t feel that there has been an increase in the total pool of locksmiths and security professionals. Lockshops are being passed down through the family, new shops open, old ones close (or more accurately, they now work part time in Florida).
Q: What training do you provide?
Training is one of our favorite ways to give back to our customers. We have a great facility in Worcester, Massachusetts, that can comfortably host a 20–30-person event, and we typically provide training sessions at least once per quarter. Our most recent classes were on Ilco’s automotive offerings and a hands-on certification class for ABLOY PROTEC2. These educational opportunities are announced through our newsletter, which you can sign up for at our website: www.stoneandberg.com
Q: How do you compete with online product sellers?
There is a long list of online sellers in this industry, many of which offer low prices and wide ranges of stock. It can be difficult to determine the legitimacy of their business and offerings, although the temptation of lower pricing often will attract new customers. We stand behind our products, and if you run into any issues requiring a return, we make the process simple and quick. Between providing a stress-free ordering process and helpful, responsive customer service, we’re able to compete with the many faceless online resellers, who might find it difficult to keep up in these departments.
Q: Do you stock any DIY products?
Stone & Berg doesn’t have a retail business, because we strictly focus on supporting our security professional customers, who might sell into the DIY market themselves.
Q: How would you describe the overall strength of distribution today?
Distributors act as a much-needed mediator between the manufacturer and security professional. Personal touch is something that’s fading away as more interactions move to online platforms, which makes the relationships that we’ve built that much more important. Smaller regional distributors, such as Stone & Berg, can provide these security professionals a more personalized and meaningful relationship that they can trust in and call upon whenever they like. Capable distribution not only will have the necessary stock ready to ship, but also the knowledge and understanding to answer your questions and provide multiple solutions.
