A secure business

Parslow Lock and Safe in Trail, B.C., has been providing peace of mind for over 60 years

From left Danyon Cameron, Vern Blair, Chris Dilling, and Sherri and Randy Smith make up the crew at Parslow Lock and Safe. — Kristen Mitchell photo

Walk into Parslow Lock and Safe in Trail, B.C., and you’ll be welcomed with a smile and a friendly greeting. Originally opened in 1947, this business has changed buildings and owners a few times, but has always stayed within the family of the original founder. Now Randy Smith, a certified locksmith, and his wife, Sherri, own and manage Parslow Lock and Safe.

As a long-standing business, Parslow Lock and Safe has had to evolve to stay current in the industry. It’s still a great place to go for locks and keys, of course, and the business does a great deal of work for banks in the region. Now, however, Parslow Lock and Safe also works with automotive security and remote keyless entry. Since taking over the business in 2011, Randy has also been doing more security work for large companies around British Columbia.

Whether it’s big business, bank safes, or protecting your own home, security is always an important consideration. Simple preventive action is always preferable to a negative outcome. Parslow Lock and Safe’s website provides security tips for home and apartment. Randy said that many older homes are relying on knob locks while current requirements are a lot more secure.

“The building code requires that you have a deadbolt on your door, to be mounted to the door frame, and the screws must extend into the stud in the wall,” said Randy. “The deadbolt should extend into the strike plate a minimum of one inch. Some of the cheaper deadbolts don’t provide sufficient security, which is what you’re relying on. With locks, you get what you pay for. Some of them may not even be qualified to be part of the building code. So, yes, at the very minimum you should have deadbolts to code on every exterior door. And you need to check that your windows are lockable and you have good exterior lighting—motion sensor lighting is good.”

Honesty and integrity are absolutely essential for individuals or companies involved in security, said Randy. Parslow Lock and Safe is aware of its trustworthy and reliable reputation in the community. Both Sherri and Randy were raised in Trail and it’s an area they are pleased to call home, saying they enjoy the friendly people. It’s also the number 1 thing they enjoy with running Parslow Lock and Safe. Randy especially appreciates his easy-going relationships with customers. Sherri spends most of her time in a back-room office, but said the general joking of the team helps her enjoy every day.

It’s been an interesting journey for the Smiths.

“When we took over in 2011 nothing was stored on the computer,” said Sherri. “We had to study all that up and get the bookkeeping records updated. That was a bit challenging, to bring technology into the business.”

Randy had long been adept at cutting keys or fitting locks. Now, he’s also learned to build a business and travels extensively for jobs with Parslow Lock and Safe. The couple’s commitment to the business and solid dependability mean they can look forward to many years of helping to keep the Kootenays secure.