American Best Locksmith
American Best Locksmith is a family-owned mobile locksmith founded in 2007, serving residential, commercial, and automotive customers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Texas via five trucks and storefront locations, with on-site car key programming as its flagship service.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersPhiladelphia, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What American Best Locksmith does
American Best Locksmith is a family-owned specialty locksmith founded in 2007 by Michael Novak in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, operating across four licensed markets (PA, NJ, DE, TX) with five mobile service trucks and storefront locations in Philadelphia and Houston. The company provides mobile and in-shop automotive, residential, commercial, emergency, and safe locksmith services, with automotive key replacement and programming serving as the flagship offering covering 41 car brands and 30 motorcycle brands including luxury and exotic makes. Every truck carries dealer-grade key cutting and programming equipment along with an in-stock inventory of transponder keys, smart keys, keyless remotes, and push-to-start fobs, enabling on-site service that typically completes in 30-60 minutes at 30-50% below dealership pricing.
The business operates a hybrid direct-to-consumer and B2B commercial model. Consumer customers reach the company via phone (877-340-3344), online scheduling, or walk-in appointments and receive upfront pricing before dispatch with an average 25-minute arrival time in primary service areas. Commercial customers include property management portfolios, dealerships, fleet operators, auto auctions, rental car companies, and named enterprise accounts such as Philadelphia Gas Works, DriveTime Dealerships, and Allstate Insurance, served through dedicated POCs, tiered pricing, Net 30 terms, and COI on request. Revenue is generated through per-job service fees (lockouts, rekeys, lock changes, smart lock installation, master key systems, panic hardware, access control), hardware sales (August, Yale, Schlage Encode, Kwikset Halo, Medeco, Mul-T-Lock, and others), and automotive key replacement priced from $150 to $800+ depending on brand complexity.
The company remains entirely bootstrapped with no external equity investment and has grown organically from a single van to its current footprint over 20+ years. It maintains a 5.0-star average across 900+ verified reviews aggregated through BirdEye from Google, BBB, and Foursquare, holds a BBB A+ accreditation, and is licensed, bonded, and insured in all four operating states. The founding family retains ownership and operational control, with the same small team of technicians having worked together for two decades.
American Best Locksmith firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Best Locksmith
- Legal name
- American Best Locksmith Inc.
- Website
- https://americanbestlocksmith.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- American Best Locksmith is a family-owned mobile locksmith founded in 2007, serving residential, commercial, and automotive customers across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Texas via five trucks and storefront locations, with on-site car key programming as its flagship service.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Best Locksmith industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Locksmith Services
- NAICS
- Locksmiths (561622), Automotive Repair and Maintenance (8111)
- SIC
- Services-Automotive Repair, Services & Parking (7500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Key Management, Duplication & Locksmith Services (HSAHAEAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Residential Smart Lock Hardware (Keypad, Keyless, Biometric, Connected) (HSAHAEAA)
Keywords
Where American Best Locksmith is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Philadelphia
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
American Best Locksmith business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Locksmith Service Fees: Per-job service fees for residential, commercial, and automotive locksmith work. Includes lockouts, rekeys, lock changes, smart lock installation, master key systems, panic hardware, and access control. Payment due on completion for residential; Net 30 terms for B2B accounts.
- Hardware Sales: Sale and installation of locks, deadbolts, smart locks (August, Yale, Schlage Encode, Kwikset Halo, Level, Ultraloq), high-security cylinders (Medeco, Mul-T-Lock), and safes. Hardware warranty provided by manufacturer.
- Automotive Key Replacement: Cut and program replacement keys and fobs for all major automotive brands. Revenue varies by brand complexity: domestic/Asian $150-$350, European premium $350-$650, luxury/exotic $400-$800+. Typically 30-50% less than dealer pricing.
- Motorcycle Key Services: Mechanical motorcycle keys $185-$250 flat rate. Programmed/transponder/smart keys priced by quote. Powersports, ATV, dirt bike, and scooter keys at same mechanical rate.
- B2B Commercial Accounts: Long-term commercial accounts with tiered pricing, dedicated POC, COI, and Net 30 terms. Property management portfolios, dealership volume programs, fleet operations, auto auctions, rental car operations, and multi-tenant commercial buildings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Home Lockout - $150-$200 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lock Rekey - $150 first lock + $45 each additional |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Lock Replacement with Hardware - $200 first lock + $100 each additional |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Smart Lock Installation - $350-$650 |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Car Key Replacement - $150-$800 depending on brand |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Motorcycle Keys - $185-$250 mechanical, programmed varies |
| Other | Multi-year contract | B2B Commercial Accounts - Tiered pricing, Net 30 terms |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
American Best Locksmith product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Best Locksmith is a family-owned specialty locksmith that sells and delivers mobile and in-shop locksmith services across automotive, residential, commercial, motorcycle, and safe categories. Its flagship offering is on-site automotive key cutting and programming for 41 car brands and 30 motorcycle brands, complemented by residential rekeys and smart-lock installation, commercial master key and access control systems, and safe opening, sales, and installation. Services are dispatched from storefront hubs in Philadelphia PA and Houston TX with mobile vans covering Camden NJ and Wilmington DE.
Product overview
American Best Locksmith is a family-owned specialty locksmith company founded in 2007, offering a portfolio of mobile locksmith services across residential, commercial, and automotive sectors. The core offering consists of five service lines: (1) Car Keys & Key Fobs as the flagship service covering 41 automotive brands with on-site cutting and programming; (2) Residential services including lock changes, rekeys, and smart lock installation; (3) Commercial services featuring master key systems, access control, and panic hardware; (4) Motorcycle Keys covering 30 brands; and (5) Safe services including opening, sales, and installation. Services are delivered via fully-equipped mobile vans dispatched from storefront locations in Philadelphia PA, Camden NJ, Wilmington DE, and Houston TX, with dealer-grade equipment carried in every truck.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Car Keys & Key Fobs (Flagship) Mobile automotive key replacement and programming service for 41 major brands. Includes transponder keys, push-to-start fobs, proximity fobs, and all-keys-lost scenarios, performed on-site using dealer-grade equipment at 30-50% less than dealership pricing.
- Residential Locksmith Services Home locksmith services including lock changes, rekeys after moves or roommate changes, deadbolt and smart lock installation, and high-security or restricted keyway systems for homeowners.
- Commercial Locksmith Services Business-focused locksmith services including master key system design (grand-master/master/sub-master hierarchies), keypad and fob installation, lock changes after staff turnover, panic bars and door hardware, high-security cylinders, and property management accounts with Net 30 terms.
- Motorcycle Keys
Quantifiable outcome
- Average 25-minute arrival time in primary service areas
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use American Best Locksmith
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
American Best Locksmith technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
American Best Locksmith partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators8 records
Recent moves15 records
Expansion highlights5 records
American Best Locksmith competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Geek Squad (Best Buy): National in-home installation service that handles smart lock and home security device installation. Overlaps with ABL's residential smart-lock installation offering as part of a much broader consumer-services portfolio.
- AAA (American Automobile Association): Major membership-based roadside assistance provider that includes lockout service for vehicles. Competes with ABL's automotive lockout side at scale and offers a trusted incumbent alternative to mobile locksmiths.
Direct peers
- Mr. Locksmith: Regional mobile locksmith offering residential, automotive, and commercial services across multiple US metros. Comparable service mix and mobile dispatch operating model to American Best Locksmith.
- A-1 Locksmith: Multi-market mobile locksmith offering residential, commercial, and automotive services with similar mobile dispatch model. Closely comparable on services offered and customer segments served.
- Car Keys Express: Specialist in automotive key replacement and key-fob programming, with retail locations and a strong dealer-grade equipment focus. Highly comparable to ABL's flagship automotive key service line, with broader geographic footprint.
- Pop-A-Lock: Largest franchised mobile locksmith network in North America, offering residential, commercial, and automotive locksmith services via mobile vans. Directly comparable business model to American Best Locksmith, just at significantly larger national scale.
Emerging players
- Low Rate Locksmith: National locksmith directory and dispatch service routing jobs to local technicians. Competes for emergency lockout search traffic that ABL captures organically, and pressures price expectations in the consumer market.
- KeyMe: Tech-enabled locksmith offering self-service key duplication kiosks and an app-based mobile locksmith dispatch service. Directly competes in residential and automotive key replacement but with a digital-first, kiosk-anchored model.
- Minute Key: Self-service key-cutting kiosk operator placed in retail locations. Competes with ABL's residential key duplication business and signals where the routine end of the key-replacement market is heading.
Regional players
- Brooks Lock & Key: Established regional locksmith serving residential, commercial, and automotive customers with mobile dispatch. Comparable on service breadth and customer mix, though primarily competing in a different geographic market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Best Locksmith social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Best Locksmith financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Best Locksmith leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
American Best Locksmith funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Best Locksmith M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Best Locksmith
What does American Best Locksmith do?
American Best Locksmith is a family-owned specialty locksmith that sells and delivers mobile and in-shop locksmith services across automotive, residential, commercial, motorcycle, and safe categories. Its flagship offering is on-site automotive key cutting and programming for 41 car brands and 30 motorcycle brands, complemented by residential rekeys and smart-lock installation, commercial master key and access control systems, and safe opening, sales, and installation. Services are dispatched from storefront hubs in Philadelphia PA and Houston TX with mobile vans covering Camden NJ and Wilmington DE.
Is American Best Locksmith a public or private company?
American Best Locksmith is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was American Best Locksmith founded?
American Best Locksmith was founded in 2007. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is American Best Locksmith based?
American Best Locksmith is headquartered in Philadelphia, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Best Locksmith make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Locksmith Service Fees are the primary driver. The others are hardware Sales, automotive Key Replacement, motorcycle Key Services and B2B Commercial Accounts.
Who are American Best Locksmith's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Geek Squad (Best Buy) and AAA (American Automobile Association). Direct peers are Mr. Locksmith, A-1 Locksmith, Car Keys Express and Pop-A-Lock. Emerging players are Low Rate Locksmith, KeyMe and Minute Key. Brooks Lock & Key is listed as a regional player.
Does American Best Locksmith have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Best Locksmith.
What industry is American Best Locksmith in?
American Best Locksmith's product category is Locksmith Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSAHAEAD, Key Management, Duplication & Locksmith Services, with a secondary code of HSAHAEAA, Residential Smart Lock Hardware (Keypad, Keyless, Biometric, Connected). Its NAICS code is 561622 and its SIC code is 7500.