by Sinifar » 24 Aug 2015 8:19
I don't know how many of you have ever attended the ALOA show, my last one was years ago in Chicago. These smaller regional shows put on by a supplier take the place of the huge national show. Not everyone can take a few days off away from the business and just go to say Vegas or Baltimore and spend a couple of days out there. Not to mention the cost - including the hotel, transportation and the actual show,they are not free.
IDN is a large supply chain, and our local is one of the units. SO the show was held at Frontier Park in the activities building. Think a good sized gym. There were about 20 vendors showing product there, including -
Advanced Diagnostic / Alarm Lock / Falcon / Glynn-Johnson / Ives / LCN / Schlage / Von Duprin / American - Master Lock / Comp-X - all lines / Assa Abloy / HES / Corbin-Russwin / Ilco / KSP / Rixson / Sargent / Code Locks / Keyline / LAB / RCI / Hager / Ditec / BEA / HID / Kaba / Medeco / GMS / Major / Marks / Olympus ...
If you want to see the latest, and play with stuff, this is your show. Local, aimed at the smiths, not the public a lot of stuff to see, talk with the sales reps and some factory reps, and get current catalogs. The biggest part is finding out what is new, and playing with it to get an idea of how to sell it to your clients.
A bit of everything for everybody. If you are into Commercial only, you will find lots to see and talk about. Automotive Locksmiths have their tables to find out the latest in transponder and FOB programming and what is new in that area. Talking with the auto people all agree that the "key" for auto work is going away and more and more are going to FOB only with remote starts. I can see a problem here, in hacking, no matter what they say.
New door closers and new codes are making commercial work more complex. Things like needing a panic exit device in interior power rooms or any other major utility over a certain power level.
What's new in locks? Medeco "M-3" is drifting into Corbin - Russwin and Yale. The guy said it could be in Sargent shortly, but not Arrow. All are Assa Abloy. They have a tendency to migrate technology into other lines then market it as "new" when it is only a redesign of one concept into other products.
What new keyways are available in cylinders, like the GMS G23, and G45 -- new products from everywhere and a lot of old tried and true stuff like LAB kits. Nothing new at LAB to speak of -- just more of the same.
A few classes coming up from Alarm Lock, and others - the previews were at the show. We get CEU's for them - needed to keep your ALOA certification up .. and besides it helps to know the latest on the inside of the industry.
Lunch as usual was provided and was the usual brats with all the fixings. Beer or soda was available.
Mostly it is a good way to rub elbows with the trade and eye the competition. Some of us old timers get together and eye the new kids on the block, and wonder how many will be gone by this time next year - yakking about past work and stuff we saw and did. Exchanging ideas with each other on stuff we worked on, and in general spending a Saturday deep in the trade.
Over the years there has been many of these and this one for IDN was their 20th show. Back in the 70's it was Aetna Hardware which put on the show down at Holiday Inn Central, now part of Marquette University. Since I am a small shop, and I really can't afford to go the the big show unless it is close, this takes the place and is well worth the time to attend. If your supplier has one, go, and learn and find out what is new.
SInifar
The early bird may get the worm, but it is the second mouse which gets the cheese!
The only easy day was yesterday.
Celebrating my 50th year in the trade!
