A-1 Mobile Lock & Key

What A-1 Mobile Lock & Key does

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key is a family-owned, full-service locksmith and physical security provider headquartered at 1956 S Burlington Blvd, Burlington, Washington. The company operates from a 2,000 sq ft showroom and shop and dispatches a six-vehicle mobile service fleet across Skagit, San Juan, Island, and Snohomish Counties. It serves three primary customer segments: residential (lock rekeying, deadbolt and door installation, hardware upgrades), automotive and RV (on-site transponder key programming, laser cut key origination, ignition replacement, key extraction), and commercial (master key systems, restricted keyways including Schlage Everest Primus, access control, CCTV, and door-and-frame packages). Founded in 1980 and under Olson family ownership since 1989, the business currently runs with 10 full-time employees and holds Washington locksmith license A1MOBML926P9.

The company monetizes primarily through on-site professional services billed per job or call, supplemented by hardware sales of locks, safes, doors, CCTV equipment, and access control systems from the showroom and via the mobile fleet. It is an authorized AMSEC safe dealer and installs branded third-party equipment from HIK Vision, Alarm Lock, Schlage, Baldwin, Emtek, Codel, and AMSEC. Distribution is hybrid: a direct-to-consumer walk-in showroom, mobile field service dispatched by phone, and channel partnerships with roadside assistance organizations, property management companies, and building maintenance/security firms serving big box retailers. Pricing is quote-based with free estimates and no publicly disclosed rate cards.

Operationally, the business grew from a sole-proprietor mobile van in 1989 to a multi-vehicle operation through a combination of organic hiring and two tuck-in acquisitions of competing local locksmiths (Mount Vernon Locksmiths in 2005 and Sedro Woolley Lock & Key in 2008). An SBA 504 loan in 2009 funded the purchase and remodel of the current Burlington Boulevard facility. The company received the SBA's Jeffrey Butland Family-Owned Business of the Year Award in 2011, with revenue reported to have grown tenfold over the preceding decade. There is no external investment, no parent company, and no disclosed post-2020 financial data; the company remains entirely family-held and operated by Andrew and Christina Olson.

Name

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key

Legal name

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key

Website

https://a1mobilelock.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key is a family-owned locksmith and physical security provider in Burlington, Washington, operating a six-van mobile fleet and showroom across four Washington counties, serving residential, automotive, and commercial customers with key cutting, lock, safe, CCTV, and access control services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Locksmith Services

NAICS

Locksmiths (561622), Security Systems Services (56162)

akta.pro primary industry

Key Management, Duplication & Locksmith Services (HSAHAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Residential Smart Lock Hardware (Keypad, Keyless, Biometric, Connected) (HSAHAEAA), Intercom & Video Entry Integration with Smart Locks (HSAHAEAI), Automotive/Garage & Gate Access Control (Smart Garage Door, Driveway Gates) (HSAHAEAJ)

Keywords

• Mobile locksmith services
• Key cutting services
• Automotive key programming
• Access control systems
• Safe installation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Locksmith Service Labor: On-site locksmith services including lockouts, rekeying, key origination, ignition work, and emergency services. Billed per service call or job.
2. Security Hardware and Products: Sales of locks, deadbolts, safes, doors, key blanks, access control equipment, CCTV systems, and related security hardware from the showroom.
3. Safe Sales (AMSEC Authorized Dealer): Authorized dealer of AMSEC safes including gun safes, depository safes, burglary and fire rated safes. Offers delivery and installation services.
4. Mobile Automotive Services: On-site automotive key replacement, transponder programming, ignition replacement, and key extraction services delivered to customer locations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key provides mobile and in-shop locksmith services for residential, automotive, and commercial customers across four Washington State counties. Offerings include lockouts, rekeying, transponder and laser cut key programming, ignition replacement, access control installation, CCTV deployment, door and hardware installation, and authorized AMSEC safe sales with delivery and installation. Services are delivered through six fully equipped service vans and a brick-and-mortar showroom.

Product overview

A-1 Mobile Lock & Key is a family-owned locksmith business operating as a physical service provider rather than a software platform. The company offers an integrated portfolio of locksmith and security services centered around five core areas: (1) Shop Services for key cutting and lock rekeying, (2) Automotive & RV Services for vehicle key replacement and ignition work, (3) Access Control Systems for electronic credential-based entry, (4) CCTV Surveillance Systems for video monitoring, and (5) Residential and Commercial Locksmithing for doors, locks, and hardware. The company is an authorized dealer of AMSEC safes and installs branded products including Codel exterior doors, HIK Vision surveillance equipment, Schlage Everest Primus restricted keyways, and Alarm Lock proximity systems. Services are delivered through a combination of mobile service vans and a physical showroom on Burlington Boulevard.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shop Services In-shop key cutting, lock rekeying, key origination, broken key removal, and key duplication services. The shop stocks over 2,000 different key blanks including transponder chipped keys, laser/sidewinder keys, VATS, Trimark, FIC, Trioving, and specialty keys for marine and automotive applications.
• Automotive & RV Services
• Access Control Systems
• CCTV Surveillance Systems
• Residential Services
• Commercial Services
• Safe Sales and Service
• Door Installation

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero vandalism incidents at Northwest Ambulance facilities within four months of CCTV installation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AMSEC (American Security Corporation)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA-1 Mobile Lock & Key is an authorized dealer of AMSEC safes. They sell and install AMSEC products including large gun safes, depository safes, burglary and fire rated safes, and under the bed gun safes. They offer delivery and installation services including handling 900+ pound safes.
• Worksource WashingtonminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Worksource Washington's On-the-Job Training program enabled A-1 Mobile Lock & Key to train new employees. The company participated in workforce development programs available through the state employment service.
• Property Management CompaniesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with property management companies to offer quick rekeying services for tenants. Companies work with A-1 for efficient tenant turnover and lock changes.
• Roadside Assistance OrganizationsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracts with roadside assistance organizations to provide automotive locksmith services when customers are stranded due to lost keys or lockouts.
• Building Maintenance and Security CompaniesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorContracts with building maintenance and security companies that handle big box retailers, providing locksmith services as part of their service offerings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• MinuteKey: Automated self-service key duplication kiosk operator with thousands of retail locations. Competes specifically with A-1's in-shop key cutting and duplication service line on convenience and price for standard keys.
• KeyMe: Digital-first key duplication platform using self-service kiosks and mobile-app dispatched locksmiths. Represents the emerging digital/mobile-app aggregation model competing for the same residential and automotive key replacement customers A-1 serves.

Regional players

• Mr. Locksmith: Seattle-area mobile locksmith service providing automotive, residential, and commercial lockout and key replacement. Comparable service mix and target customers in the same Pacific Northwest market, though it does not overlap geographically with A-1's four-county service area.

Direct peers

• Pop-A-Lock: Largest national mobile locksmith franchise in North America, providing automotive, residential, and emergency lockout services via a dispatched fleet. Highly comparable business model, mobile service delivery, and customer segment to A-1 Mobile Lock & Key, though operating at vastly larger scale.
• The Flying Locksmiths: National mobile locksmith and commercial door franchise offering on-site lock, access control, and door hardware services to commercial and residential customers. Closely aligned with A-1's mobile service model, master key systems, and commercial access control offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Guardian Protection: Regional security systems integrator offering monitored alarms, smart home automation, and security camera installation across the Mid-Atlantic and Mid-West. Comparable bundled security installation model though operating in a different geography.
• Stanley Security (Securitas): Large-scale commercial security integrator providing access control, video surveillance, and locksmith services under master service agreements to enterprise and government customers. Overlaps with A-1's commercial access control and CCTV work at the high end of the segment.
• Brinks Home Security: National provider of home security systems including smart locks, alarms, and video doorbells. Competes for the residential security hardware upgrade segment that A-1 services with its deadbolt, keyless entry, and CCTV installations.
• ADT (commercial security division): National commercial and residential security systems integrator offering access control, CCTV, intrusion, and monitoring. Overlaps with A-1's commercial CCTV, access control, and master key service lines, though ADT bundles these into nationwide managed-service contracts.

Others

• ASSA ABLOY: Global lock and access solutions manufacturer whose brands (Medeco, Yale, Sargent) supply high-security cylinders and master key systems that A-1 installs and services. Supplier/ecosystem relationship rather than direct competitor, though their branded products are an integral input to A-1's commercial offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about A-1 Mobile Lock & Key