Decorative Hardware The Emtek Way

Nov. 1, 2010
Emtek product displays enable their dealers to show their customers a “touch and feel” sampling of the available designs.

Emtek, an ASSA ABLOY company, manufactures decorative lock hardware consisting of keyed mortise and cylindrical locks as well as passage, privacy and dummy tubular locks and handlesets. Emtek designs and manufactures their own lock hardware. Specializing in residential lock hardware, Emtek locks having the same decorative features can be installed onto exterior and interior doors, creating a flowing ambience from viewing the entrance to navigating throughout the home. These decorative locks are available with a 2-3/8” or 2-3/4” backset.

The Emtek lock components are truly decorative hardware. They are forged, wrought, hammered, lost wax and sand cast to create their distinctive appearance. The knobs, levers, and rosettes are solid and heavy. To compensate for the weight, spring cages are built into the rosettes and the sideplates, and even heavier springs are installed into the lever locks. This feature also allows for ease of installation as the parts are already completely assembled into inner and outer trim. Emtek locks are designed to accommodate door thickness up to 2-3/4”.

They are manufactured of brass, bronze, crystal, porcelain, stainless steel or steel. During my tour of the assembly facility, someone was coating the rear of Old Town Clear crystal knobs with “mirror” silver to better reflect light through the facets. At last count there are more than 100 styles of levers and knobs, and more than 25 rosette styles. These numbers do not include the different finishes available. There are even leather sewn levers, the Dakota Brown or Black.

While catalogs and price books illustrate the locks having the knobs/levers with a specific rosette, knobs and levers can be mixed and matched with a wide variety of rosettes including a number of non-round rosettes that allow for a truly custom appearance. The designs include contemporary, American Heritage, Rustic Living and European Traditions. For those individuals who want to create their own decorating styles, Emtek locks are ordered by choosing individual components, not complete locks. For example, an Emtek cylindrical lockset is ordered by choosing the lever or knob, its function and choosing the rosette. Having the choice of mating a specific rosette with a particular knob or lever offers the end user an almost endless number of choices. In addition to the standard finishes, Emtek offers silver patina, deep burgundy, rust, medium bronze and flat black.

To complement the lock hardware, Emtek produces door pulls, cabinet and door hardware, door bells, casement latches, flush and surface bolts, hinges with decorative tips, switch plates and window pulls. For example, the crystal knobs are available in four different sizes for doors, kitchen and bath cabinetry.

Emtek components are manufactured throughout the world in more than 30 factories. The components are shipped to the warehouse and assembling facilities in southern California. When the products are ordered, the components are pulled from the bin network and taken to specific assembly stations where the lock hardware is assembled. No locks or hardware are assembled prior to being purchased. This eliminates the need of warehouse space for finished product.

Once assembled, the locks are packaged and move to the inspection stations where they are examined and test run to ensure proper operation. When the inspector is satisfied, he repacks the lock for shipment and stamps the inside of the box, certifying the lock is ready for shipment. According to Emtek, most shipments are assembled within 48 hours.

There is no minimum purchase required from their dealers. There is no freight charge. All items are shipped at a maximum of three-day delivery.

Emtek products are only sold through their dealer network. Contact the factory for more information.

Emtek has amazing choices of product displays for their dealers to show their customers a “touch and feel” sampling of the available designs.

Emtek continues its long tradition of innovation introducing about 18 new products each year. Some recent new products have included different designs of electronic deadbolts, leversets, and a handleset. 

For more information, contact Emtek Products, Inc., 15250 E. Stafford Street, Industry, CA 91744. Telephone: 800-356-2741 or 626-961-0413. Website: www.emtek.com.