Locking up the future
J.R. Shoup in Akron is moving from old-fashioned keys to electronic codes
By Paula Schleis
Beacon Journal business writer
Published on Sunday, Sep 20, 2009
Stick a key in a lock, turn it, and the door opens. It's a seemingly simple act requiring time-tested tools that downtown Akron locksmith J.R. Shoup Inc. has been providing for 101 years.
But nobody passes the century mark by living in the past.
''You can't survive on what's been going on for 100 years. With technology changing the way it's changing, you've got to keep up,'' said Janet Harrington-Sykes, who has owned the business since 1988.
Three years ago, Harrington-Sykes nabbed a sales representative who worked for an electronic security company. Ed Levitt has been helping to bring J.R. Shoup into the 21st century.
The company has expanded its line to include electronic keys and closed-circuit cameras — systems once only used by large companies but now filtering down to smaller businesses and homes.
Levitt estimates 90 percent of locks in use today are standard ''pin tumbler locks'' that are easily compromised. Detailed how-to guides on the Internet are increasingly turning ''generally upstanding youngsters'' into lock-pickers, he said.
So for the past couple of years, J.R. Shoup has been focused on educating its customers about the benefits of upgrading to electronic systems that range from key cards that
are swiped by a reader to boxes that accept a punched-in code.
Most people simply don't know how unprotected they are, Levitt says, ''but most people who know will upgrade.''
J.R. Shoup is one of downtown's oldest continuous businesses, opening on Water Street in 1908 and moving to its current location (a former hamburger joint) on West Exchange Street in 1946.
Shoup was a locksmith who also sharpened shears and knives and repaired bikes. After he died in 1956, the business passed into family hands until Harrington-Sykes purchased it 21 years ago.
At the time, Harrington-Sykes was in the middle of a divorce and leaving behind a fire safety equipment business she owned with her ex-husband.
''I knew I needed to do something, so I bought this. I didn't know anything about locks, but I knew how to run a business,'' she said.
While the boxy building was small and cluttered, there was no question of moving it. Customers knew how to find them, there was plenty of parking, and downtown clients were a stroll away.
Harrington-Sykes fashioned herself an office out of a tiny storage room and educated herself on the industry as she organized stacks of books and catalogs.
''All I knew about locks when I bought the place was you put the key in the lock and turn it,'' she said. ''But there are so many facets to locks. . . . You could be in this trade for 50 years and never know everything there is to know.''
Variety of tasks
Her locksmiths work with the old (locks that haven't been made in years that require creative tweaking to stay functional) and the new (like key card swipes popular with businesses and hotels).
Harrington-Sykes said about 85 percent of her business is commercial, 10 percent is residential and 5 percent is walk-in. (J.R. Shoup doesn't work with vehicles.)
Her locksmiths do everything from recreating keys for locks that lost their original keys long ago to analyzing and designing security systems. They also repair and maintain all manner of door hardware, as well as provide common key-cutting services.
The company employs six, down from a peak of seven.
The rise of chains like Home Depot and Lowes has taken a toll. Builders usually turn to those low-cost outlets for new construction needs, but J.R. Shoup's strengths include repairing old systems that people don't want to replace.
Downturn costly
The recession has affected business, Harrington-Sykes said, but recently ''I can see things changing and activity getting better.''
The new lineup of electronic locks and cameras deserves some of the credit, Levitt said.
More customers favor the electronic versions because a lost key can be deactivated without having to replace a lock. Also, such systems leave an ''audit trail,'' allowing employers, for instance, to monitor when employees gain entrance to a building.
''And cameras have become a good portion of our business,'' Levitt said. Camera technology has become so sophisticated, they can analyze what they're seeing and send a text message to the client to warn of unusual activity.
J.R. Shoup does consultations at no charge, and is confident they are beating major security providers on cost.
''We've been able to establish a pretty nice account with a number of the large local corporate entities,'' Levitt said, ''and they must like us because they keep calling us back.''
Paula Schleis can be reached at 330-996-3741 or pschleis@thebeaconjournal.com.
