Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zachary Black. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Zachary, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

In the field of Electronic Access Control, which usually involves electronic lock and automated door systems on commercial buildings, it is very difficult to get anything done quickly or with any sense of urgency. It’s also really hard to get smaller services like repairs or system component replacements done at all, as most of the companies that are known around town or easy to find have their focus on big jobs, ususally new system installs. Whether a customer needs troubleshooting, repairs, component replacements, or a whole new system, almost 100% of the time they are extremely relieved when they get into contact with me and learn that I can do same day service calls, and can provide quotes for service of any size or scope with 24-72 hours. Even when they’re trying to call back the comapny who installed their system, they tell me they can’t get any kind of service for at least several weeks, or have been turned down because the size and scope of the work needed was too small. Realizing this has allowed me to corner the market, especially for smaller jobs and repairs, where there seems to be very little competition. Handling customers needs with a sense of urgency is a personal value of mine that I hold dear, and has become my hallmark in this industry.

Zachary, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve been a Locksmith for over 10 years, and probably 7 or 8 years ago now I met an Electronic Access Control technician who needed a helper on his jobs. He taught me the basics of Access Control system planning, installation, troubleshooting, and repairs, and I grew from there. Usually Access Control takes the form of proximity readers on a commercial building that allows users to unlock and access the building, usually with a key card or fob, although there’s also readers with blutooth that can be set up to read users’ phones as keys, or use biometric data like fingerprints or eye scans. There are many access control locks that can operate the doors themselves in conjuction with the access readers, but the most common are electric strikes and magnetic locks. Access Control can also include door automation, such as a motion sensor that opens the door when you walk up to it. Most importantly, all the doors can be wired to a central computer system where the administrator can set schedules for when and what doors different users are able to access, and for the different doors themselves. Although right now Electronic Access Control is mostly used in high-end commercial applications, I believe it is the future of lock and key hardware, and that in a few decades or less it will be widely expanded to residential applications.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Access Control jobs are very, very difficult. From installing the hardware onto a variety of doors and surfaces, to running wires, system planning, designing electrical circuits, programming and troubleshooting, even the most experienced techs will find themselves facing new challenges on each and every job. Long story short, any experienced Access Control tech has been through the ringer in terms of figuring out these difficult situations, and is always learning. Furthermore, resilience will be required on each and every job when it comes to Electronic Access Control. This is one of the reasons I take so much pride in my abilities with this, because it didn’t come easy, and every dollar is hard earned.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

I got into Electronic Access Control through the adjacent field of Locksmithing. One of the wonderful things about these two industries is there’s a lot of of crossover between them, and so often customers need both of these services at the same time. Suprisingly though, there seems to be little or no cooperation or commiuncation between firms in these different fields. Therefore, I have a huge edge on both industries by being active in both communities. I often get passed customer information for Access Control from other Locksmiths when they have a client needing it, because most Locksmiths don’t do Access Contro. Alternatively, I get Locksmith jobs from Access Control companies that don’t do basic locksmithing or commercial door hardware. Doing both of these types of services allows me to stay busy and have enhanced value to my partners in both Locksmithing and Electronic Access Control.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zmlacesscontrol.com/