Unlocking the locksmith industry :
Campus locksmith tells all
By Sophia Watson
Notice Board
» ON A BUSY , VIBRANT CAMPUS SUCH as Susquehanna , many unsung heroes work tirelessly behind the scenes . They ensure that the little things run smoothly , such as various maintenance tasks . These micro-operations often go unnoticed by the majority of the community , primarily by the student body .
In particular , one standout professional within the maintenance team works a job like no other . Campus locksmith Andrew “ Andy ” Squier has an integral position as Susquehanna ’ s one and only locksmith . As former campus locksmith Daniel “ Dan ” Kilgus retired within the past year , Andy has since taken on this important role alone . He came to Susquehanna as a maintenance worker seven years ago , and then worked as an apprentice under Dan for three and a half years before becoming the full-time locksmith that he is today .
Though he has a fair amount of background in maintenance work , Andy had minimal background in the locksmith profession until coming to SU . “ I really had no experience in locksmithing ,” he said . “ I worked at a hardware store in high school and had cut keys before , but that was about it . Susquehanna took a chance on me .”
Originally , Andy ’ s path led him in a different direction entirely . “ I actually attended college for land surveying , back when the natural gas boom was a big thing ,” he commented . This profession involves gathering land data for various civil engineering projects . Additionally , this job required Andy to travel frequently . As he and his wife started a family , he did not want to travel as much . This brought him to Susquehanna .
As for locksmithing , every day for Andy looks completely different . He spends a good chunk of his days alone cutting keys in the maintenance building . When projects do arise , Andy is always ready to take them head-on . Lately , he has been busy rekeying various houses on University Ave , where the fraternities and sororities are based on campus .
“ A lot of what I do is preventative maintenance ,” Andy said . “ For instance , last summer I replaced the Smith Hall bathroom doors as well as some other dormitory doors .” Smith Hall is one of the first-year residential halls on campus . Andy also works extensively in the 18th Street Commons , a neighborhood reserved for Susquehanna ’ s seniors to live in . Andy has a big job on campus , especially for just one person . Fortunately , he is extremely organised and resourceful . He handles the entire campus on his own . In some situations , he does require assistance from other maintenance departments on campus . The campus electricians often work alongside Andy , such as fixing issues related to ID card swipes to get into buildings .
It is truly remarkable how just one locksmith is able to cover a campus as dense as Susquehanna ’ s . Often , people never usually think about the amount of doors and locks in a specific place . With
almost 2300 students and many additional faculty and staff , the amount of ground for just one locksmith to cover is astounding .
“ When I was in residence life , I used to work closely with Andy ,” said Lauren Crouse , the Associate Director of the Office of Leadership and Engagement at SU . “ We overlook how many doors we walk through as a residential campus . Andy is a can-do man . He is a one-man shop who oversees everything from keys to lockouts and everything in between . There is not a job he will not do , and he takes initiative to get everything done quickly and effectively .”
Given the demand of the job , most universities employ multiple locksmiths . Nearby , Bucknell University is another small liberal arts college . Located about 15 minutes from Susquehanna , it has 22 locksmiths to cover a campus of just under 4,000 students . This sharply contrasts with SU having just one .
Nevertheless , Andy is a highly motivated and skilled professional . Though he is soft spoken and humble , his influence and hard work never goes unappreciated on Susquehanna ’ s campus .
Sophia contacted The Locksmith Journal asking if she could write about Andy and his hard work on campus . Do you have a story to tell or have experience of international locksmithing ? Get in touch with gemma @ cvgroup . co . uk
JANUARY 2025
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