Kwikset is an American

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

and

lockset A lockset (alternatively lock set) is the hardware and components that make up the locking or latching mechanism that can usually be found on a door or other hinged object but can also include sliding doors and dividers. The components of a lockset ...

manufacturer owned by

Spectrum Brands Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. is an American diversified company. Headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin, it was established in 2005 as the successor company to Rayovac Corporation. It is one of the Fortune 500 companies, and among the largest of ...

Hardware and Home Improvement Group (HHI), a Division of Spectrum Brands, and is in the process of being acquired by

Assa Abloy Assa Abloy AB is a Swedish conglomerate whose offerings include products and services related to locks, doors, gates, and entrance automation. Related products and services include controlling access and confirming identities with keys, cards, ...

. Originally Gateway Manufacturing Company, Kwikset was founded in California in 1946 by

Adolf Schoepe Adolf Schoepe (January 1, 1904, Berkenroth, Germany, - July 29, 2001, Fullerton, California) was a German-American inventor and businessman. Schoepe, a master metalworker with no formal education, emigrated to the United States in 1927. At the ...

, and Karl Rhinehart. The current name for the company was derived from the company's first locks, which pioneered the then-revolutionary tubular lock design, which was relatively fast to install. Kwikset key blanks (KW1, Ilco 1176, Axxess 66) are available at almost every location where keys can be made. Kwikset currently has manufacturing facilities in

Denison, Texas Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. It is south of the Texas–Oklahoma border. The population was 22,682 at the 2010 census. Denison is part of the Texoma region and is one of two principal cities in the Sherman–Deni ...

;

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

; and Mexicali, Mexico. Kwikset also has a facility in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

. Kwikset previously had manufacturing facilities in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the 10th-most ...

;

Bristow, Oklahoma Bristow is a city in Creek County, Oklahoma, Creek County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 4,222 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, down 2.4 percent from the figure of 4,325 recorded in 2000 United States Census, 2000. Hist ...

; and

Waynesboro, Georgia Waynesboro is a city in Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,766 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Burke County. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area. Waynesboro is known as "The Bird Dog Ca ...

; but starting in 1996, these facilities were closed in a consolidation of operations to the Mexicali facility. Kwikset's Corporate headquarters is in

Lake Forest, California Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 85,858 at the 2020 census. Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had been known as El Toro. Following a vote in 20 ...

History

In 1957, the American Hardware Corporation (AHC) purchased Kwikset. AHC merged with Emhart Manufacturing Corporation in 1964; the latter was purchased by

Black & Decker Black+Decker Inc. is an American manufacturer of power tools, accessories, hardware, home improvement products, home appliances and fastening systems headquartered in Towson, Maryland, north of Baltimore, Maryland, USA, where the company was o ...

in 1989. In 1992, Kwikset introduced its higher quality, high-security ''Titan'' product line. Around the year 2005, the line was rebranded as the "Signature Series". In March 2010, Black & Decker was purchased by

Stanley Tools Stanley Hand Tools is a brand of hand tools. It is a division of Stanley Black & Decker, following the merger of The Stanley Works with Black & Decker in March 2010. History The Stanley Works was founded by Frederick Trent Stanley in 1843, or ...

. Kwikset subsequently became part of the Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI) Group of Stanley Black & Decker, which also owns lockset manufacturers Weiser and Baldwin. Kwikset locks have now evolved to include many Weiser features, and Weiser locks now use Kwikset's "SmartKey" self-rekeyable lock technology and Kwikset keyways. On October 9, 2012, the ''

Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' reported that

Holdings, Inc. had agreed to acquire from Stanley Black & Decker's HHI Group, including Kwikset, and that the transaction was slated to close by December 31, 2012. On September 8, 2021,

announced that it had signed a definitive agreement to acquire Spectrum Brands' HHI division, including Kwikset, among other brands, for a purchase price of $4.3 billion. The transaction was initially expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2021, but is still ongoing.

References

{{reflist
Kwikset company history

External links

Official site
Lock manufacturers Manufacturing companies established in 1946 Stanley Black & Decker brands 1946 establishments in California 1957 mergers and acquisitions 2012 mergers and acquisitions Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2009