Invest in Automotive Education

Here we are, halfway through the year and only a month from the ALOA convention. It is incredible to me how time is fleeting. I remember as a kid growing up in Philly, it seemed like time moved so slowly. I thought that I would never be old enough to get my license to drive! I guess that is why when we get older, we need to worry so much about time management; because if we don’t manage it, it will all be gone before we know it!

I hope everyone who went to SAFETECH this year in Milwaukee made it back safely and had a great time. It turned out to be a fantastic event and was very well attended. It was great seeing so many of you there, and I can’t wait for the ALOA Convention & Security Expo in beautiful National Harbor! If you haven’t already made plans to attend, I would strongly encourage you to do so because I believe that it will be an event to remember!

Speaking of the annual convention… the ALOA convention is absolutely the best opportunity all year long to get the most premier education available in our industry! Just about any topic that you can think of will be covered and will have at least one or two classes taught by some of the highest-quality instructors in our industry.

This month, you will notice that Keynotes is focusing on automotive locksmithing.

I have addressed this topic in previous articles and will do so briefly again in this issue. In the years prior to transponder technology really hitting the market, I did enough automotive work to sink a battleship! This was also around the time that the commercial work I did really started to take off. I was faced with the same decision that many of you face: Do I embrace the new technology and invest in the equipment, tools and supplies to properly do the work, or do I turn down automotive work and focus on other aspects of locksmithing?

Because of my love for commercial locksmithing, master keying, interchangeable core servicing and door service, the choice was easy for me. However, I have great respect for those who have embraced automotive locksmithing and chosen to pursue it the right way. When I say “the right way,” here is what I mean. When I started my career in this industry, a “locksmith” was someone who handled every aspect of physical security. It didn’t matter if it was on a car, a house, a commercial building, a prison or a factory — we did it all! No matter if we were a one-man mobile operation or a storefront with multiple locations and 50 trucks on the road, everyone was trained on all aspects of locksmithing.

As time went by, certain specialized fields began to arise. Automotive has certainly become one of these specialized fields. If you are a one-man show today and plan to do automotive work, it is my opinion that you should focus all of your time, money and effort on that specialized field. If you are a larger shop with multiple employees, it is my opinion that you need one or two “automotive guys” who primarily do just automotive. To do it right, it takes a huge investment in education and equipment, and the only way to get a good return on that investment is to focus primarily on automotive. ALOA is a fantastic place to get that automotive training you may be looking for!

June 2018

Respectfully,

Jim Wiedman, CML
President
ALOA Security Professionals
Association, Inc.
president@aloa.org

Recruit New Members — to ALOA and to ALOA 2018

Want to entice your colleagues to join the ALOA family? There’s no better way to recruit new members than to invite them to join you at the ALOA Convention & Security Expo in National Harbor, MD, July 8-14.

If you know people who would benefit from an ALOA membership, let them know about us. If they apply before June 30, 2018, we’ll waive the application fee — that’s $70 or more in savings. Once final membership is approved, your colleagues can start taking advantage of the multitude of benefits and services available to ALOA members, including free professional bonding, listing in the newly redesigned FindALocksmith.com and Keynotes magazine each month. Better yet, they can arrive at the ALOA Convention knowing they’re joining their association peers.

If you’re still trying to decide if you want to attend the ALOA Convention & Security Expo, looking at what your attendance brings you will make your decision so much easier. ALOA 2018 gives you access to the best value in learning in the industry. Register for up to seven days of industry-leading training and product education in one location. You can sign up for a full package of training, which includes five days of classes as well as evening seminars.

You also get access to the Security Expo, which lets you browse the latest products and gives you a chance to network with manufacturers and suppliers. And with the Security Expo and classes all in one walkable location, the convention has never been more convenient for attendees.

ALOA 2018 is where everyone in the security industry should be come July 8. This is the best access you’ll receive anywhere to networking with peers, world-class education and so much more. To learn more, visit ALOA.org and click on the ALOA Convention tab. And those colleagues you’re recruiting? You can download an application at ALOA.org too.

June 2018

Mary A. May
Executive Director
mary@aloa.org

ＡＬＯＡ　国際地域の皆様へ

私は現在ＡＬＯＡ国際地域部長です。そして2期（4年間）活動してまいりました。その前はNon-Boarding Dirctorとして2年間働いています。その間、私はアメリカ本土と各地で開催される役員会議に1年に3回以上出席していました。私は多くのロックスミスと交流ができて大変うれしく思いました。現在私ができることは、ＡＬＯＡのアジア地域のメンバーを中心に交流ができるチャンスを広げたいと思いました。2012年に中国上海市で「第１回ＡＬＯＡアジア会議」を開催して多くのメンバーが集まりました。また、2013年は、韓国支部の協力を得て、韓国ソウル市で２回目の会議を開催しました。９カ国のメンバーが集まりました。本部からはエグゼブティブディレクターのＭａｒｙ女史も参加して頂いています。本来ならば、ＡＬＯＡメンバーの皆様はアメリカで開催する展示会、総会に参加するべきだと思います。しかしながら、旅費や時間を考えると実行できないと思います。その為に、ＡＬＯＡの情報やメンバーの交流を図りたい目的で私は「ＡＬＯＡアジア会議」を実施しています。言語の問題は非常に大きいです。

さて、それらの情報を新たに「ＡＬＯＡ　ＡＳＩＡ」のホームページ、ブログを立ち上げて少しでも言語を変換できるようにして見ていただきたいと思います。この内容は、韓国の李さんのサポートがあり大変感謝しています。また私の周りには多くのサポートをしてくれる人達がいます。これからもＡＬＯＡメンバーの為に役立つことを進めていきたいと思います。

ご理解ご協力をお願い致します。

Yoshio Suzuki
International Director