Weston Wade, owner of Eagle Lock and Key in Corpus Christi, says his business goes beyond duplicating keys and opening cars with the keys locked inside. The future of the home and car security lies in videos and electronic systems that can be operated from your smartphone. Photo Carrie Robertson Meyer/Third Coast Photo
To Weston Wade, a locksmith doesn’t conjure an image of a man with a few tools who helps unlock your car or house. Instead, a modern locksmith is knowledgable in electronic security systems, remote technology and more.
“Everything has changed drastically in my career,” said Wade, owner of Eagle Lock & Key, 14254 South Padre Island Drive in Corpus Christi.
When he began almost 18 years ago, keyless technology was something new found only in a few vehicles. Now, it’s common for cars and trucks to come equipped with just a chip that recognizes the owner and opens without a traditional key.
Homes have evolved, too. It’s possible to control just about any device in your home — including doors and security systems — from a smartphone no matter where you are.
“You can lock the doors, set codes, have thermostats tie into systems, cameras,” Wade said.
If it plugs into an outlet, you can control it remotely.
And if your home, car or business can be opened from your phone, or a chip you carry, then where does that leave an old-fashioned key or the locksmiths who craft them?
A world without keys might not be too far away, Wade said.
“Keys are going to be non-existent, I expect, in the next decade,” he said. “The need to carry keys is slowly fading away.”
Wade and his employees are all licensed locksmiths. Additionally, Wade has an access control license, which allows him to work on large safes and with proximity devices that might be used in hospitals, office buildings and refineries.
“There is so much more we do than unlock cars and houses,” he said. “I look at myself as more than a locksmith: I’m a security specialist.”
That’s evident when stepping inside the store. Yes, there are keys and locks but also safes, keyless devices and more.
Part of the growing market for security is in closed-circuit TV surveillance. Video technology has advanced to a point that high-quality systems are affordable to more people.
“There is so much competition of manufacturers producing products,” Wade said. “A high-end system, only governments and banks were able to use even five years ago.”
Today, a CCTV system with features such as night vision, infrared and HD can be obtained by any homeowner.
A camera today can zoom in to any part of an area in HD.
“Down to a point of being able to see the design of a tattoo on someone’s arm 20 feet away,” Wade said.
From video to remote-control and keyless access, today’s locksmiths are far more advanced than many realize.
“It’s why we have continuing education to maintain our ability to install these products,” Wade said.
Keeping track of security technology helps Wade keep a lock on the future of his business — with or without a key.
