Many will regard Bolton as humble, down-to-earth and home to some of our most-loved and laughed at comedians, legendary steeplejack Fred Dibnah (down-to-earth whilst on top of a tower) and Warbutons bread. The fact that this Lancashire location is one of the most populated places in the UK without city status only adds to its understated charm. Nestled in the North West, at the heart of the industrial revolution, the town was one a cotton powerhouse. So, with modesty and manufacturing woven together, when looking for well-designed hardware on a budget, Bolton becomes the obvious choice.
It’s been more than two years since we caught up with Phill at Secure ARC, but no cylinder feature in The Locksmith Journal would be complete without him. In 2020, Phill discussed his (then) newly-launched classroom cylinders with us, and we were looking forward to the latest line of locks when we telephoned this time.
“At the moment we’re really, really busy and one of our most popular products is the 3-star Pro-Tek range,” begins Phill. “Almost all locksmiths will be aware of what to expect from a 3-star spec, and the Pro-Tek ticks all of these boxes of course. It’s been through all the required tests, it’s anti-pick, anti-snap, anti-drill and can be keyed alike and master keyed, but the price is less than half of that of a big brand.
“We launched it mid-2021 and haven’t even really advertised it until now. Its popularity has been mainly from word-of-mouth. This is almost certainly down to the price, it’s like nothing else.”
A great price will only work once though if the product isn’t up to scratch, and its Phill and his team’s experience and expertise that back up this budget cylinder, and every other product that passes through Secure ARC.
Established in 2012, Phill Parkinson – an architectural ironmonger – set up shop with a mission of ‘good quality products at sensible prices’. Now, with a growing team of more than eight people and over 20 years in the industry, Secure ARC designs and develops its own products and supplies further selections from other manufacturers, only if they pass muster from Phill himself.
This includes a comprehensive range of Euro Single and Euro Double locks, oval cylinders, plus the aforementioned classroom cylinder catalogue, where even the entry level lines are safer, more reliable, and more durable than most on the market; always at a fair price.
In addition to the product ranges, key profiles come with the option of SR – Semi Restricted profile (as standard), or RR – Restricted profile. Secure Arc achieves this by using an exclusive profile that is uniquely designed for the team, and cannot be replicated anywhere else. On top these products, the customisation and colour-matching service is particularly popular, allowing Secure ARC customers to better their own offering to their customers. The workshop also houses state-of-art machine line including a lazer etching machine, allowing for products to be branded and personalised.
The value of the service and the quality of the products may not be reflected in the price, but is certainly proven in some of the calibre of projects that Secure ARC has supplied to. Units from the Waterloo Industrial Estate have been specified for projects from Kilmarnock to Dublin to Heathrow and everywhere in between, including jobs for Aldi, Wetherspoons, BBC, NHS, McDonalds, Amazon and BMW/Rolls Royce.
The width and breadth of Secure ARC’s application and specification, all from its Bolton bolthole further cements Phill and his team’s place in the industry. Whether it’s a locksmith dropping in for a single piece or 4,200 cylinders for Media City, the product will be the same high standard, the price will be sensible, the service will be on point and you’ll most likely have Phill picking up the phone for the order.