Master Lock V61
Karlyn Hemmerling
Master Lock is an American company that develops padlocks, combination locks, safes, and related security products. Now a subsidiary of Fortune Brands Innovations, Master Lock Company LLC was formed in 1921 by locksmith-inventor Harry E. Soref and is headquartered in Oak Creek, Wisconsin.[1][2][3] In 1970 the company was purchased by American Brands from Soref's heirs. American Brands was later renamed to Fortune Brands, which then split on October 3, 2011, to create the Fortune Brands Home & Security company and the beverages company Beam Inc. (which was then soon purchased by Suntory).
Before co-founding the company in 1921, Harry Soref had been a traveling locksmith in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico,[2][3] had invented a lock for protecting military equipment,[3] and had founded the "Master Key" company for making master skeleton keys.[2] In 1919, Soref then invented a padlock design that used laminated steel layers to economically produce an exceptionally strong lock body.[3]
In 1974, Master Lock ran a Super Bowl ad demonstrating one of their locks withstanding a shot by a sharpshooter, thereby proving its durability and thus their slogan "Tough Under Fire". Master Lock continued running similar ads during future Super Bowls, spending almost their entire annual marketing budget on the single commercial.[6] Later, Master would incorporate the image into a one second-long blipvert commercial in 1998.[7]
At its peak in the early 1990s, the company employed about 1,300 workers in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.[1][8] In 1993, the company began moving much of its manufacturing to China, and later also moved some manufacturing to Mexico.[1][8] Most of the jobs at its Milwaukee plant were eliminated, although the company continued to perform some of its manufacturing at the plant using heavily automated manufacturing processes.[1]
In 2002, Master Lock released its Titanium Series of padlocks, the first major redesign in fifty years. The goal was to add design variety and aesthetic value to the utilitarian functionality of their locks. The lock mechanism has titanium reinforced steel, with a stainless steel body. A shroud covers parts of the stainless steel, allowing the locks to come in different colors.[9] Master Lock requested that the designer locks be stocked in departments outside the hardware section of retailers.[10] In 2003, the company acquired Illinois based American Lock and all their intellectual and material property.[11]
In 2010, Master Lock began offering a password manager service called Master Lock Vault that includes a web site and associated software applications for use on various devices.[12] In 2011 Fortune Brands spun off Master Lock as part of Fortune Brands Home & Security.[13]
In January 2011, it was announced that about 36 jobs were being returned from China to the Milwaukee plant, which would increase the number of positions at the plant to 379.[1][8] Most of the added jobs were for making combination locks, subassemblies and keys.[1] It was reported that the company would also continue to contract with three Chinese factories and about twenty Chinese suppliers, and operate its maquiladora near the Arizona border, where Mexican workers perform non-automated labor-intensive work such as assembling made-in-Milwaukee components.[1][14]
In February 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama visited the Master Lock headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and lauded the company's recent return of jobs from overseas locations.[15] As of that time, it was reported that the company had returned about 100 jobs from overseas during the preceding two-year period.[15] In 2012, Master Lock introduced a line of combination padlocks called the dialSpeed.[16] The dialSpeed lock is battery-operated, has a lit face, and features multiple user-programmable combinations. It has a master unlocking code that can be accessed through the company web site.[16] In 2014, Master Lock acquired SentrySafe for $117.5 million.[17]
Master Locks are made for a variety of uses, including personal locking, vehicle locking, and others.[19] New products in the 2000s moved beyond locks, such as industrial space cover sealing mechanisms.[20] Almost all of the company's locks are known to have serious security flaws, which allow for easy bypass through lock picking or bump keys or other forms of bypassing. This is because the locks mostly contain standard cylindrical pins, with no, or poorly made, serrated or spool driver pins.[21]
The Master Lock Commercial Magnum No. M1KASTS Laminated Steel Padlock with Stainless Steel Body Cover, Keyed Alike - features a laminated steel body encased in a stainless steel body cover for maximum strength and weatherability.
The Master Lock No. 5425D Wall Mount Light-Up Dial Lock Box features a 2-7/8in (72mm) wide metal body for durability. The wall mount design offers permanent installation. The large, easy to read light-up dials, combined with resettable combination functionality, provide a secure storage location for spare keys and access cards.
The announcement came as a shock to the workers and many in the community and local officials and union leaders have demanded that Fortune Brands reconsider the decision. Workers at the plant make parts for locks that are assembled in Mexico.
In 1970, Master Lock was bought by American Brands, Inc., which later became Fortune Brands. In 2011, Fortune Brands spun off its home and security business as an independent company called Fortune Brands Home and Security, Inc.
The company is headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois. Fortune Brands has more than two dozen locations spread across the United States, but also has facilities in Mexico, England, South Africa and China..
Nicholas Fink has been CEO since January 2020. He joined the company in 2015 as senior vice president of global growth and development. Fink served as the president of Global Plumbing Group, now Water Innovations in 2016 until he was promoted as chief operating officer of Fortune Brands in 2019.
Nonconductive plastic-body LOTO padlocks inhibit the transfer of electricity, making them ideal for locking out electrical components. They are lightweight alternatives to heavy-duty steel and aluminum-body LOTO padlocks.
Master Lock, the worldwide leader in portable security products, continues to set the standard for quality and selection. Building on this tradition, Master Lock ProSeries and Commercial padlocks can be customized to meet your specific needs. Our make-to-order capabilities allow us to create tailored security solutions for your applications. Choose the best width, material, shackle diameter and length, product weatherability, as well as multiple keying options or laser engraving to secure your property.
Retail value for the product in the counter display is $126.24. Locksmiths can order Master Lock 1286LUBE from authorized Master Lock Company distributors. Learn more at www.masterlock.com or by calling Customer Service at (800) 464-2088.
Ficcadenti points out the lock lubricant complements and supports the 28-in. x 32-in. product display board, which allows customers to view, handle and compare a range of Master Lock ProSeries products. This includes steel, brass, aluminum and resettable combination locks, as well as Commercial Laminated padlocks. Known as DB001 for ordering purposes, the product display board also includes information on various Master Lock keying options, the exclusive Edge Key Control and BumpStop protection.
Even though you may always try to see the best in people, it's impossible to know when someone might try to steal your valuable possessions, so it's essential that you keep certain items locked up. Master Lock has been one of the most trusted brands of padlocks in the country for almost a century, and the company's selection of keyed and combination locks are designed with the utmost security in mind. You can find a wide selection of Master Locks here at Walgreens.
You can choose among a wide range of product types when browsing Master Lock padlocks. Though keyed padlocks date back about 2,000 years, these products have been vastly improved upon in recent generations to help them stay secure, and a variety of anti-picking mechanisms make it exceptionally difficult for thieves to break in. The major potential downside of keyed locks is that it will be much harder to access your possessions if you lose the key. Combination locks replace physical keys with a series of numbers, letters, or motions that you need to memorize if you want to open the lock. Multiple-dial locks have several dials that need to be spun to the correct numbers for the mechanism to open, while single-dial locks rely on your ability to spin the face of the lock in the correct pattern. The most recent Master Lock innovations actually allow you to set your own combination on a single-dial lock. Like keyed padlocks, the internal mechanisms in combination locks are constantly being redesigned to thwart potential thieves.
Founded in 1921 by experienced traveling locksmith Harry Soref, Master Lock quickly established itself as one of the most trustworthy padlock manufacturers in the country. The company was granted a patent for creating the first laminated steel padlock just a few years after it was founded. Master Lock continued innovating with the creation of its first combination locks in the 1940s and '50s--which featured the same design still used today. Through the years, Master Lock products have been trusted by the military, the Secret Service, and countless prisons, in addition to everyday consumers interested in protecting their valuable possessions. The company's headquarters are located just outside Milwaukee.
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