Mul-T-Lock was founded on innovation. When Moshe Dolev and Avraham Bahry invented the unique 4-way, multipoint lock in 1973, a global leading brand was born. Mul-T-Lock was fresh, full of ideas and ready to help the industry grow. That much has remained exactly the same. As for the rest, well…in the words of Heraclitus, “Nothing endures but change.”
Over the course of the next 41 years, Mul-T-Lock’s commitment to innovation and locksmiths around the world has produced an extensive range of constantly evolving solutions to help locksmiths meet ever-changing market demands. Since 1973, Mul-T-Lock’s offering has come to include everything from mechanical cylinders and keys to wireless locks and smartphone-based electronic credentials – all to be delivered you.
When Mul-T-Lock developed their first high security (Classic) platform in 1977, the intention was to grow not by sheer invention, but by empowering locksmiths with something exclusive, premium, modern and maybe even a little bit sexy. Mul-T-Lock keys looked different, far more sophisticated than any easily recognizable SC1 or KW1 key. These were special keys, elite keys that you couldn’t just get at any hardware store. No, to get one of these babies, customers would need a professional. They’d need … a locksmith.
Mul-T-Lock knows this better than anyone. In order for Mul-T-Lock to distribute their product, they need loyal partners who can: maintain the integrity of restricted keys; operate a unique key cutting machine; pin, install and service their products. They too…need a locksmith. Locksmiths were, and are, in great demand!
As Mul-T-Lock continued to invent new patented platforms such as Interactive®+, MT5®+ and electromechanical solutions such as CLIQ e-cylinders, locksmiths remained at the forefront of their strategy. But it hasn’t been a one-way street. Locksmiths in turn, have seen their business exponentially grow through the sale of Mul-T-Lock products. Premium solutions are sold at a premium price and dealer exclusivity keeps consumers coming back. In fact, Mul-T-Lock has traditionally employed several measures to generate repeat business: stamping keys and cards with their dealers’ name and phone number, providing customized solutions, offering proprietary keyways and more. Mul-T-Lock’s electronic platforms like CLIQ® and SMARTair® have created additional paths to recurring revenue for locksmiths via annual licensing agreements, SLA’s and other long-term client-dealer commitments.
For over four decades, this cooperative relationship between locksmiths and Mul-T-Lock has kept us all in demand and has created a win-win –win scenario whereby, the manufacturer moves their product, the locksmiths grow their business, and end-users enhance their security.
So where are we today? We all see the market changing and electronic solutions coming to the forefront. It is clear that while mechanical locking may not become entirely extinct, it is well on its way to being endangered. Yet, many locksmiths are failing to adapt and their business is suffering because of it. Why? Much of it has to do with fear of the unknown. While some have wisely embraced change, learning as much as they can about access control, many are content to stick with only what they know. That is bad news.
The good news is that Mul-T-Lock is offering more ways to help locksmiths get their feet wet. Their newest catalog includes off-the-shelf, starter electronics like the Code-It™ electronic lever and GotU® digital door viewer. These products, much like those first sophisticated keys, have a wow-appeal. Discerning consumers perceive these modern gadgets as must-have status symbols. And it’s a fast, easy, high-margin sale. Mul-T-Lock’s CLIQ ® platform combines familiar mechanical technology with electronic access in a wire-free, easy to install cylinder. Wall-based and mobile programming devices allow system administrators to update key authorizations and view audit trails from anywhere. And web-based software gives locksmiths the opportunity to effortlessly collect recurring revenues through licensing and service level agreements. If you’re interested in graduating to a full access-control platform, consider SMARTair® - a complete access control platform with easy-to-install retrofit wireless locksets, cylinders, padlocks and readers that range from standalone to wireless with remote door opening and more.
The even better news is that Mul-T-Lock isn’t just bringing the products needed to keep locksmiths in demand, but the experience. A second generation locksmith, Mul-T-Lock USA, Inc. president, Roy Miller, C.P.L worked his way up the ranks, devouring as much information as he could about the electronic security arena. Prior to becoming president, Roy served as Mul-T-Lock USA’s director of access control, where he gained extensive hands-on experience in working with electronic solutions for locksmiths.
“For me, and hopefully for our customers, there is a true value in my coming from the locksmith channel. Having been a part of this ever-changing industry for so many years, I’ve always been in a position to understand the specific needs and the unique challenges that our locksmiths encounter, but now I’m in a position to really do something about it. Now I can offer solutions made by a locksmith and for a locksmith; it’s very exciting,” Miller explains.
Roy and his team are intensely focused on keeping locksmiths in high demand. “The market is changing rapidly, and we need to adapt,” says Miller. “Mechanical solutions certainly still have their place, but focusing only on locks and keys is simply no longer enough. I am committed to helping our dealers embrace the technologies that can enhance their business, by attracting new patrons, satisfying their existing cliental, and generating repeat customers and recurring revenue streams.”
Whether you’re looking to grow business through mechanical sales, simple electronics, hybrid solutions or full scale access control, Mul-T-Lock can help. To learn more about becoming a dealer, visit Mul-T-Lock online at http://mul-t-lockusa.com/en-us/6854.html, email [email protected] or call 1-800-MULTLOCK.
