CYLINDERS
“ Everything you expect from a 3 * cylinder , except the price …”
» MANY WILL REGARD Bolton as humble , down-toearth and home to some of our most-loved and laughed at comedians , legendary steeplejack Fred Dibnah ( down-to-earth whilst on top of a tower ) and Warbutons bread . The fact that this Lancashire location is one of the most populated places in the UK without city status only adds to its understated charm . Nestled in the North West , at the heart of the industrial revolution , the town was one a cotton powerhouse . So , with modesty and manufacturing woven together , when looking for well-designed hardware on a budget , Bolton becomes the obvious choice .
It ’ s been more than two years since we caught up with Phill at Secure ARC , but no cylinder feature in The Locksmith Journal would be complete without him . In 2020 , Phill discussed his ( then ) newly-launched classroom cylinders with us , and we were looking forward to the latest line of locks when we telephoned this time .
“ At the moment we ’ re really , really busy and one of our most popular products is the 3-star Pro-Tek range ,” begins Phill . “ Almost all locksmiths will be aware of what to expect from a 3-star spec , and the Pro-Tek ticks all of these boxes of course . It ’ s been through all the required tests , it ’ s antipick , anti-snap , anti-drill and can be keyed alike and master keyed , but the price is less than half of that of a big brand .
“ We launched it mid-2021 and haven ’ t even really advertised it until now . Its
‘ good quality products at sensible prices ’
popularity has been mainly from word-of-mouth . This is almost certainly down to the price , it ’ s like nothing else .”
A great price will only work once though if the product isn ’ t up to scratch , and it ’ s Phill and his team ’ s experience and expertise that back up this budget cylinder , and every other product that passes through Secure ARC .
Established in 2012 , Phill Parkinson – an architectural ironmonger – set up shop with
a mission of ‘ good quality products at sensible prices ’. Now , with a growing team of more than eight people and over 20 years in the industry , Secure ARC designs and develops its own products and supplies further selections from other manufacturers , only if they pass muster from Phill himself .
This includes a comprehensive range of Euro Single and Euro Double locks , oval cylinders , plus the aforementioned classroom cylinder catalogue , where even the entry level lines are safer , more reliable , and more durable than most on the market ; always at a fair price .
In addition to the product ranges , key profiles come with the option of SR –
Semi Restricted profile ( as standard ), or RR – Restricted profile . Secure Arc achieves this by using an exclusive profile that is uniquely designed for the team , and cannot be replicated anywhere else . On top these products , the customisation and colour-matching service is particularly popular , allowing Secure ARC customers to better their own offering to their customers . The workshop also houses state-of-art machine line including a lazer etching machine , allowing for products to be branded and personalised .
The value of the service and the quality of the products may not be reflected in the price , but is certainly proven in some of the calibre of projects that Secure ARC has supplied to . Units from the Waterloo Industrial Estate have been specified for projects from Kilmarnock to Dublin to Heathrow and everywhere in between , including jobs for Aldi , Wetherspoons , BBC , NHS , McDonalds , Amazon and BMW / Rolls Royce .
The width and breadth of Secure ARC ’ s application and specification , all from its Bolton bolthole further cements Phill and his team ’ s place in the industry . Whether it ’ s a locksmith dropping in for a single piece or 4,200 cylinders for Media City , the product will be the same high standard , the price will be sensible , the service will be on point and you ’ ll most likely have Phill picking up the phone for the order .
www . secure-arc . com
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JAN / FEB 2022
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