Mergers & Consolidations
Editor’s Note: This letter is in response to editor-in-chief Gale Johnson’s Notes from the Editor enewsletter, titled Consolidation Questions. Read Notes from the Editor at www.locksmithledger.com/12020299.
Editor:
BHMA and ANSI standards have contributed to making locks commodity items. With some exceptions, it is difficult to discern significant advantages of one brand over another. It seems to me, the most compelling argument for brand loyalty is legacy key systems. For example, Sargent and Corbin -Russwin both have legacy sectional master key systems.
Unless a building owner wants to convert to electronic access control, or invest in an entirely new mechanical key system, the cost of changing brands is difficult to justify. On the other hand, in new construction or large scale renovation, the cost difference is likely to be insignificant.
One pitfall that locksmiths need to be wary of is re-branding. If one brand's product line hasn't performed well, it might be re-labeled and re-designated as a lower-priced line for another brand. In that respect, relying on a trusted brand name could be a mistake.
Gredon (Grady) Turner
Locksmith
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