ARTICLE

The Changing World of a Locksmith


The question every locksmith should be asking right now is “What business am I in?”

More than 60 years ago, Theodore Levitt famously asserted that the railroad industry weakened, not because the need to move passengers or freight had declined but because those running the railroads saw themselves in the railroad business rather than the transportation business. 

Only a few years ago, the locksmith might have been simply described as a tradesperson who duplicated keys, installed and replaced door locks or got into an old safe with a forgotten combination. But all that is history now. Or is it?

Indeed, the bread and butter for a great many locksmiths is getting someone “in” as soon as possible. Lost your car keys? Locked out of your home or business? The locksmith is right there to help you — night or day. However, the often-used word evolution has arrived in the locksmithing space, with technology and digital transformation at the forefront of the growth movement for the locksmith industry.

Read the full article on Locksmith Ledger.


This article was originally published in April 2022 by Locksmith Ledger. Reprinted with permission of the publisher.



Beau Edelen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beau Edelen
Beau Edelen is the Vice President, Locking Solutions, at Wesco. Beau began his career in the physical security industry with Clark Security Products, holding a variety of sales roles over several years. After the acquisition of Clark in 2010, Beau was promoted to Regional VP for the Eastern US, and he has held leadership roles within the organization since then.