The Locksmith Journal 119 April 2026 | Page 8

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» AT LOCKSMITH JOURNAL WE HEAR time and time again how one chance moment can reshape a career; this time into a thriving multi-channel locksmith operation …

Matthew Arthur never planned to become a locksmith, his career path was firmly set elsewhere, until the Covid Pandemic hit and changed everything. What followed is a story of adaptability, calculated risk, and building a locksmithing business that stands out through diversification, trade support, and community connections.

A Chance Encounter That Changed Everything

I’ d been in telecoms since I was 17. Built a company up to 49 staff. Then Covid hit and, overnight, everything stopped, staff were put on furlough, and I wasn’ t sure if I had a business at all. At that point I thought to myself‘ I needed a backup plan’.

I’ d always been hands-on and wanted to move away from telecoms anyway. Then, funnily enough, I locked myself out of my own house. I called a locksmith, started asking questions, and something just clicked. That was it really. I started part-time, just learning the ropes. One thing led to another, and I realised that I actually really enjoyed locksmithing. It wasn’ t just a stopgap; I had found a new career. Slowly, I wound down the telecoms business and built up the locksmith side. Looking back now, it was luck of the draw, but it changed everything.

From One Van to a Multi-Faceted Operation

When I started, it was just me on the road. Like most locksmiths, you graft, you build your name, and you take every job that comes in. Then things got busy. I brought on another locksmith. Then I took a leap of faith and opened a small shop, just key cutting to begin with, and that decision changed the direction of the business completely.

We realised there was nothing locally offering what we could, aside from Timpson, there wasn’ t real competition in terms of a proper key centre or trade counter, and so we pushed further. We moved into a bigger unit, added a trade counter and built more relationships. Then secured a contract with a developer and everything scaled quickly. We went from cutting 10 – 15 keys a week … to 250 keys a week.

At that point, we had to bring in more staff, tighten processes, and think bigger. That’ s what led to launching our online key cutting service, now we’ re cutting keys to code for customers and locksmiths across the UK.

Building a Business That Serves the Trade

One of the biggest things that sets us apart is our focus on supporting other locksmiths.

We supply keys to code nationwide, and we offer trade discounts that are often cheaper than going direct to manufacturers. That’ s been a big USP for us.

Locally, we also handle master key systems in-house. Because we’ ve got the workshop and stock, we can offer sameday service. Locksmiths don’ t have to wait two or three days— they can get what they need and get the job done. That’ s been a big shift for us, instead of just competing, we’ re supporting, and that’ s something I’ ve always believed in.

The Power of Industry Connections

The people in this industry are one of the biggest reasons I’ ve stayed. It can be a dog-eat-dog world at times, but if you find the right people, there’ s a huge amount of support out there.

I trained with the UK Locksmiths Association, and from there I built connections with other locksmiths and suppliers. People like Mark Ward, I call him Mr Bumpkey as he runs BumpKeys4UK and has always