The National Alliance of Security Professionals (NA-SP.org), which launched in 2024 on a national scale, offers programming, training, events, networking and resources to the overall locksmithing community. The association’s mission is to provide top-notch, affordable education for commercial and residential locksmiths, institutional locksmiths, safe and vault technicians, automotive locksmiths, and access control technicians. NASP’s approach, “Elevate Your Skills, Elevate Security,” aims to enhance community safety through quality training across the Midwest.
Joshua Sands, owner of Key City Locksmith and Security in Kansas City, Mo., says the transition from the Missouri Kansas Locksmith Association (MKLA) to a more national association that covers the entire Midwest and beyond, was a natural evolution.
“When I started, we were the Missouri Kansas Locksmith Association and I noticed that the training offered before was just general locksmithing stuff, which is fine – we all need to know that, especially enticing new members to our organization,” Sands explains. “But when I took over as Vice President of Education, I slowly began to integrate more electronic access into our training and resources. We started with different keypads, and then brought in a camera vendor, and then began to run access control classes looking at how to connect a basic access control system, and those classes were very successful and in high demand, so we just ran with it.”
Overall, the new association offers a range of educational programs, including monthly workshops, bi-annual educational conferences and expos, manufacturer classes, and quarterly specialized training. Unlike purely electronic platforms, Sands points out that NASP provides hands-on instruction from industry-leading experts and local support from fellow security professionals. While locksmithing basics will continue to be at the core of what is taught, the continued rise of electronic access control is changing the industry, and locksmiths need to stay in tune.
“Let's face it, electronics are scary,” says Sands. “Your lights go out in your home; you freak out and think oh no! I see it in a lot of Hollywood movies – Home Alone is my favorite Christmas movie – and they connect a little battery to the washer and he just he gets fried … no, it's 12 volts, it's not like that! So, you know we have some education to do to bring Hollywood out of it and put reality back into it. But piece by piece we can get that going, and we have tons of great people here ready to help. So, I tell locksmiths – don't be so scared [of electronic access control] that you don't come out of your comfort zone and try and learn.”
Sands says electronic access provides some great opportunities for locksmiths to expand their portfolios of offerings while providing some additional high-tech and high-end options for their customers, both new and old.
“Electronic access control reduces wear on and increases the life of cylinders and keys,” he says, noting that customers see that “as a better selling point for their budget than anything along the convenience line. It's becoming quite common when I go to do a $100 rekey, for example, that it turns into a couple of thousand in electronic access control instead.”
As Sands pointed out last month in our Upgrading Electronics article, electronic access control jobs generate more revenue than just mechanical work, not to mention recurring revenue options.
“We do on average at least a three to four times markup on the electronic access because there is so much more involved,” he explains. “We need to determine if they already have a building that's prewired for this stuff, or do we have to go in and wire up the strike through the frame, through the wall, over to where it's going to be controlled? And then we also have a higher cost on materials because a $100 commercial lever now costs $300 or $400 because there's electronic components built inside of it.”
Sands is also extolling the virtues of recurring revenue, as he has seen firsthand with his company what that can mean for a locksmith’s bottom line.
“We are all about recurring revenue,” he says, noting that depending on the system, he is seeing approximately $30-$40 per month in recurring revenue based on the warranty, which may include upkeep and maintenance of systems, much of which can be done remotely.
“It may be a minimum cost, but over the year that's an extra $300 to $400 per customer,” he notes. “Now if I get 10 more customers that do that – that's $3,000 to $4000 per year extra for hopefully doing nothing if there are no major issues, and if you’ve done a good job, there usually isn’t. And with both residential and commercial, having that remote capability to be able to jump in quick, send the customer an authorized email that they can give us access to their system remotely and they can tell the system how long they want us in there – they like that convenience, control and security, and it also helps prevent us from rolling a truck.”
As Sands notes, the business of locksmithing is just as important as the locksmithing itself, an area that he hopes to continue to focus on in 2025 as the association gains momentum and hopefully membership.
Overall, highlights of what the association offers include:
· Continuing education: Deepen your knowledge and expertise with workshops, seminars, and online courses led by industry veterans.
· Networking opportunities: Connect with fellow professionals, share best practices, and build lasting relationships.
· Access to industry resources: Stay informed about the latest trends, technologies, and products from leading manufacturers and distributors.
· Discounts: In addition to education and networking, the association is collaborating with a marketing company to secure exclusive online and offline discounts with local vendors and distributors.
For 2025, the new association hopes to provide even more security professionals with top-notch education from industry experts, manufacturers, and distributors, noting: “While many national and local associations are closing their doors due to declining membership, record-keeping issues, and the passing of long-time members, we the founders of the National Alliance of Security Professionals see a need for a strong regional and local security association here in the Midwest, right in the Heartland.”
For more information on the National Alliance of Security Professionals, visit Web www.NA-SP.org, E:Mail: [email protected] or call 573-307-6277.
