Locksmith Business Inventory suppliers

[dmcintyre86]

Hey Guys,

I have been slowly getting my Locksmith business up and running. I'm getting to the point now where i am working enough jobs consistently. to where forming an inventory on hardware i use often will be more cost and time effective. I am wondering if anyone knows where the best bulk hardware rates are online for ordering? I know you save overhead when you purchase in this matter...just would like a point in the right direction to a supplier...Hardware stores are killing me! haha

Thank you
-Dave

[cledry]

Hey Guys,

I have been slowly getting my Locksmith business up and running. I'm getting to the point now where i am working enough jobs consistently. to where forming an inventory on hardware i use often will be more cost and time effective. I am wondering if anyone knows where the best bulk hardware rates are online for ordering? I know you save overhead when you purchase in this matter...just would like a point in the right direction to a supplier...Hardware stores are killing me! haha

Thank you
-Dave

Set up an account with a local supplier, for us that is IDN, Clark, Midwest Wholesale. Throw them enough business that you can play one off on the other and get the best price. If you throw $10K or $20K a month at a supplier they will bend over backwards to please you. It may sound like a lot but 20K isn't really much. If you are doing 20 jobs a day and each averages $25 in parts that is $15K a month right there. Today we ordered 3 doors, 1 set of NRP hinges, a Schlage mortise lock with trim, 2 Rotons, 5,000 DND blanks, a Sargent 8800 panic bar, 2 Blum drawer slides, 18 Olympus desk locks, 8 National desk locks, 16 Steelcase cores, a bunch of Best pins, 1 HES 5000, 1 AL PDL3200, an AL DL2800, a National wafer keying kit, 2 electrified trims for Corbin panic bars. Suppliers will bend over backwards to give you the best price if you throw them some business.

[billdeserthills]

I have prolly never even spent $20k a Year in hardware, as I am a one man operation. I suggest you request Open Account status at HL Flake, Boyle & Chase and a company that is local to you, like IDN,
or Intermountain Lock. You would be surprised at how much more money some local distributors try to charge, over HL Flake or Boyle & Chase. Also one of my hobbies is aquiring open account status from lots of different distributors. This allows you to place an order and receive your hardware immediately, but you don't hafta pay for 30 days, which can be very nice, especially when you are doing work for folks who you have invoiced. Far as hardware stores go, Home Depot Maintenance Warehouse (located at the help desk in Home Depot) can offer you deals that are often much lower in price than lock distributors will offer. Sign up at the help desk and they will send you a catalog.

[cledry]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

[billdeserthills]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I'm likely not even close to typical, I am single and I like to work 2-3 hours a day max
maybe 2-4 little jobs or 1-2 bigger jobs. I don't like being in the same place more than 2
hours, if I can help it.

[cledry]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I'm likely not even close to typical, I am single and I like to work 2-3 hours a day max
maybe 2-4 little jobs or 1-2 bigger jobs. I don't like being in the same place more than 2
hours, if I can help it.

Not a bad way to live.

[2octops]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I know a lot of one man mobile operations. Some do 2-3 jobs a day and some can hit 8-10 a day while juggling 20 more. It all depends on what kind of jobs they are doing, how aggressive they are and what market they are in. I know I can personally run 5-10 a day fairly easily and be home by 5.

We do not run any open accounts with suppliers. Everything is paid for when invoiced because we get a larger discount that way.

Did I see that the OP is in CA? If so, are you licensed? If not, good luck getting an account with any real distributor until you are.

[dmcintyre86]

Yes I am in Southern California. I am licensed, but still without a C-28 Contractors...so legally the most i am allowed to bill a client is $499.00

I am working on getting the C-28 taken care of currently.

Still getting my ducks in a row. Just working mostly Real Estate Owned and Prop. Management requests. (Small re-key and repair jobs)

[victorylocksmith]

Yes I am in Southern California. I am licensed, but still without a C-28 Contractors...so legally the most i am allowed to bill a client is $499.00

I am working on getting the C-28 taken care of currently.

Still getting my ducks in a row. Just working mostly Real Estate Owned and Prop. Management requests. (Small re-key and repair jobs)

you sound a lot like my buddy Damien, HL Flake is a must man, as is American Key Supply. HL Flake provides free shipping for order over $100 i think. They also can get you their stuff with the free shipping in two days. American Key Supply is in Nevada so they usually get me my stuff within a day or two MAX. Trust me when I say, you wont get generic residential keys anywhere cheaper.

Also, HL Flake has access control stuff if youre looking into that. As for the stupid license under $499 nonsense, high ball them, and then when they complain, bill them separately, cut a bit off the top and pretend like youre taking a big hit when in fact you are making $$$.

[dmcintyre86]

AHH i see,
Thank you for the input guys!

This site has proven to be quite resourceful thus far!

[jeffmoss26]

I buy primarily from HL Flake and Zipf Lock. Flake has a larger inventory but being in Texas it takes 2-3 days to get an order. Zipf is also in Ohio so I get what I need the next day UPS ground. Both have good support and are willing to do special orders and track down oddball items.
I've also bought from Clark, Security Lock Distributors, R&H Wholesale for small items.

[cledry]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I know a lot of one man mobile operations. Some do 2-3 jobs a day and some can hit 8-10 a day while juggling 20 more. It all depends on what kind of jobs they are doing, how aggressive they are and what market they are in. I know I can personally run 5-10 a day fairly easily and be home by 5.

We do not run any open accounts with suppliers. Everything is paid for when invoiced because we get a larger discount that way.

Did I see that the OP is in CA? If so, are you licensed? If not, good luck getting an account with any real distributor until you are.

I am fast but 10 jobs a day is too much for me alone. It takes me over an hour to install a new door and I usually do one of these every few days. Today a Trident install took me 3 hours because the lock was messed up from the factory and I had to correct that, plus it had outside trim and external power and remote release. I rarely get any quick jobs these days. My only other job ate up most of the rest of the day, opening a safe with disconnected linkages and repairing it.

[globallockytoo]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I know a lot of one man mobile operations. Some do 2-3 jobs a day and some can hit 8-10 a day while juggling 20 more. It all depends on what kind of jobs they are doing, how aggressive they are and what market they are in. I know I can personally run 5-10 a day fairly easily and be home by 5.

We do not run any open accounts with suppliers. Everything is paid for when invoiced because we get a larger discount that way.

Did I see that the OP is in CA? If so, are you licensed? If not, good luck getting an account with any real distributor until you are.

I pay up front for all my product. IDN will float me to the end of the month, but I pay in full every time otherwise. I am confused and disappointed that suppliers will often give bigger discounts to customers who run open accounts (billed 30/60/90 days), than to those of us who pay on the spot.

[cledry]

True, I forgot that there is no way a 1 man operation is going to be doing 20 jobs a day. What would you say is an average?

I know a lot of one man mobile operations. Some do 2-3 jobs a day and some can hit 8-10 a day while juggling 20 more. It all depends on what kind of jobs they are doing, how aggressive they are and what market they are in. I know I can personally run 5-10 a day fairly easily and be home by 5.

We do not run any open accounts with suppliers. Everything is paid for when invoiced because we get a larger discount that way.

Did I see that the OP is in CA? If so, are you licensed? If not, good luck getting an account with any real distributor until you are.

I pay up front for all my product. IDN will float me to the end of the month, but I pay in full every time otherwise. I am confused and disappointed that suppliers will often give bigger discounts to customers who run open accounts (billed 30/60/90 days), than to those of us who pay on the spot.

Those who do the most volume get the best prices. That is how business works.

[hjlocks]

McDonald Dash has good pricing. They're in Georgia and get stuff to me in Pennsylvannia in two days. They won't tell you the shipping/handling cost until after it ships though.