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GOING BACK TO EMPLOYMENT AFTER RUNNING MY OWN SHOP: KEYLOCK LOCKSMITHS
» MARK HOWELLS’ PATH INTO locksmithing wasn’ t straightforward. He started out in window glazing, which led to business ownership that was unfortunately derailed by economic upheaval, eventually bringing Mark back to what he enjoys most: working directly with customers and solving real problems.
Now running KeyLock Locksmiths across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, he brings decades of hands-on experience with windows, doors, glass and security hardware. His knowledge runs deep, but so does his honesty:“ Every day in locksmithing is still a school day,” he says.
A Life in Glass Before Locks
I left school in 1982 and walked straight into a glass company as a trainee cutter and glazier. Back then it was single glazing, hacking out old putty, aluminium
frames, and the physical graft of the old-school trade. It was hard work but I loved the buzz of it, and three years later I moved into a company contracted to Hounslow Borough Council for all the 24- hour glazing and emergency boarding. Working alone at 3am on rough estates wasn’ t for the faint-hearted, but I was young, fearless, and loved the adrenaline of being the person called when something had gone very wrong.
By the 1990s I’ d moved into fitting windows, doors and conservatories on a self-employed basis. That eventually led to surveying work, something that came naturally after years on the tools.
Building a Company … & Losing It In 2004 I took‘ the leap’ and started my own company, employing several staff and specialising in timber casement windows, doors and sash units. For 12 years it grew, thrived and became something I was proud of. Then the economic climate shifted and by 2016 I had to make the hardest decision of my career: closing the business.
Going back to being employed after running my own shop for so long was a shock to the system. Even as a freelance surveyor I still felt the constraints of taking orders again. I knew deep down I wasn’ t finished running a company; I just hadn’ t worked out what the next chapter looked like.
Why I Chose Locksmithing
In 2018 things finally clicked. I’ d always been fascinated by how locks worked, but more than that I realised how much I relished the challenge of helping customers in stressful situations. There’ s something uniquely rewarding about turning up when someone is locked out, staying calm under pressure, solving the problem and watching the relief wash over them. That feeling was enough to push me to start fresh and build something new. KeyLock Locksmiths was born, and I haven’ t looked back.
12
JANUARY 2026
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