BUSINESS FEATURE Cothron’s Safe & Lock
High-tech lock shop has been a Central Texas staple for 75 years D epending on the source of information, lock technology rst emerged in the Middle East anywhere from 6,000 to 4,000 years ago and has continued evolving from a basic pin-and- tumbler mechanism ever since. Similarly, Cothron’s Safe & Lock has been evolving in both products sold and services o ered since Olen Cothron opened the rst shop in Central Austin in January 1948, General Manager John Hernandez said. Still, some elements have remained. “We basically started as just like a mom and pop [shop], and a lot of it is still that way,” he said. The rst Cothron’s lock opened near downtown Austin on Congress Avenue, and now the business has two locations and a corporate headquarters in Austin as well as a location in Round Rock that opened on Mays Street in 2008, Hernandez said. About 95% of customer calls are for modern car key replications, he said. He added the service the company provides is a cheaper and often more convenient alternative to a dealership. Beyond the wide variety of services o ered, including safe repairs and access control system installations, Cothron’s also sells plenty of indus- try-related products from safes to lock hardware. Although big-box stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot o er key replacement services, Hernandez said they are not really competition for his shop. Cothron’s o ers superior expertise and customer service, he said. Hernandez said he was recently curious about the combined expertise of employees at Cothron’s. “Once I started actually penciling in the amount of years that some of these guys have, … we have over 500 years of lock experience,” he said. BY BRIAN RASH
John Hernandez, general manager of all Cothron’s Safe & Lock locations, started working for the company in 1993.
PHOTOS BY BRIAN RASH COMMUNITY IMPACT
SURPRISING SERVICES Beyond standard sales and key replacement, Cothron’s Safe & Lock o ers high-tech services for customers.
MODERN KEY REPLICATION • Remote key fobs • Keys with chips • Price range: $40-$300
Cothron's Safe & Lock sells safes, security systems and lock hardware at the Round Rock location.
ACCESS CONTROL • Digital card readers • Coded entry • Closed-circuit camera systems • Price range: $200-more than $2,000 SAFE MAINTENANCE • Opening • Repairs • Price range: $50-more than $2,000 COMMERCIAL GLASS INSTALLATION • Store fronts • Business doors • Price range: $200-more than $2,000
Cothron’s Safe & Lock 2119 N. Mays St., Round Rock 512-246-3979 www.cothrons.com
Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-3 p.m., closed Sun., 24-hour mobile lockout services available
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2800 S I-35 Frontage Rd #150, Round Rock,TX 78681 (512) 910-4050
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