Bob Morrissette’s time at Bayfront Central Security & Systems Group in St. Petersburg, Fla., dates back to 1982, and a phone call 25 years ago led to him running the business. Since his first day, The Master Lock Company has been a constant influence to the success of the business. Bob’s confidence in them is so strong that he only recommends American Lock® and Master Lock® commercial and residential lock products.
Highly regarded in the community for their excellent customer service, Bayfront Central excels at handling everything from a locksmith’s perspective. It begins with a wide range of on-site services including simple lock replacement and rekeying for residential and commercial properties. The showroom is well stocked with door hardware, safes and padlocks to meet the needs of any customer.
The electronic security side is equally impressive. Bayfront Central is a systems integrator of commercial security products and Bob holds a statewide electrician’s license, which allows him to reach a broad base of customers. They provide services for access control, badging, alarm systems installation and monitoring, closed circuit TV and gate operators.
Offering both safety and security solutions has its advantages. Bayfront Central today consists of 18 employees working at four retail stores, all located near St. Petersburg in Pinellas County. The store on downtown Arlington Avenue North is the largest at 4,200 square-feet of space.
Bob said his company is equally balanced when it comes to sales activity. “Every store is different. It’s been part of a growing process, adding specialties and merging with a company to integrate the electronics side of the business to make us a comprehensive, total solution provider. Typically, if one store is strong on the commercial side with a little residential business, the others are just the opposite. It’s an advantage because when the economy shifts, we are positioned to leverage the strength of our business at one or two of the stores and know we are diversified enough so it will carry us.”
The Master Lock difference
Acknowledging that the locksmith industry has changed over the course of his career, Bob said changing with the times has paid off. Bayfront Central does a sizeable amount of school and residential business, and Bob has high praise for Master Lock’s door hardware, which appeals to his customers.
“The Master Lock Residential door hardware product line is very good. It’s a well-made product with brass cylinders and holds up well despite the climate here. We have fewer callbacks for dried out locks when we sell Master Lock levers and deadbolts. There are many popular home colors here in Florida, so we sell a lot of satin nickel and aged bronze wave levers.”
Bob says the commercial market has become his largest and best-selling category. That makes the American Lock brand line Bayfront Central’s bread-and-butter choice.
“The Master Lock brand meets all of our residential customer needs but we do a lot of American Lock business on the commercial side. That includes selling products used for towing and trucking. From a security perspective, American Lock has many choices and is a really good solution for customers to secure their vehicles and retrofit trailers.
“There are many landscaping companies here and they haul expensive equipment on their trucks and trailers. The American Lock hockey puck locks (with hidden shackle padlocks that are resistant to bolt cutter and hacksaw attacks) are very popular with them. With Florida’s weather, we constantly provide these products all 12 months of the year.”
Selling both American Lock and Master Lock brand lines made Bob an ideal candidate for the Master Lock Edge® Key Control program. The exclusive patented keying system gives the key owner control over any and all key duplication that only authorized Master Lock locksmiths can offer.
“I’m an Edge dealer and I see the benefit of providing and selling a key-controlled product. Their key cylinder is universal across the product lines so I only have to stock one cylinder. I can mix and match between American Lock and Master Lock to service the customer. Pricing is extremely competitive in this market, so having Edge makes a difference. Every locksmith carrying American Lock or Master Lock products should be selling it.”
Bob said a new customer tool is also helping to sell locksmith products.
“To help us market these brands, we received new Master Lock Edge Key Control and General Security merchandise display boards. They offer detailed information, especially the general security board with commercial-grade padlocks. It’s an interactive tool that allows customers to see and compare the different sizes and colors available.
“Some Master Lock padlocks come in display packaging, so both the product and boards are directly in front of customers. When they touch the samples and turn them, they usually buy it, so the display boards have been really good for our sales.”
The business relationship between Bayfront Central and American Lock and Master Lock has strengthened over the course of time. Thousands of products have been sold to a likewise number of satisfied customers. And it all began with a career altering phone call in 1991.
