The Locksmith Journal Sep-Oct 2014 - Issue 34 | Page 70

PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE AUTOLOCKSMITHs A THOROUGHLY GOOD EXPERIENCE IN SCOTLAND’S FAIR CAPITAL A whole weekend of working, in the Capital city of a country that was just about to vote on opting out of the United Kingdom, meeting people whom I had never met, in their busy working environment and with their customers and suppliers, was not exactly an assignment which had me wildly enthusiastic! It would be fair to say that I felt some measure of trepidation when alighting from my train and heading for Keyprint in Edinburgh. But all that trepidation soon dissipated on my arrival. The team at Keyprint is not only courteous, friendly and extremely welcoming but also incredibly knowledgeable. This is a family-run firm, which has been built upon delivering excellent service - not just in terms of product availability - but also in encouraging transference of their knowledge to their customers. SETTING A PRECEDENT This open day is one of the most wellestablished in the industry, and has probably set something of a precedent for others. Having now attended for the first time, I can now clearly understand its popularity. For a start, being based in Edinburgh, it is the ideal location for both Scottish and North of England locksmiths; it must be said, however, that there were locksmiths attending from all parts of the UK. Distance is no object in such a case and Keyprint is easy to reach however you travel. 70 SEP/OCT 2014 Keyprint itself had fully opened its premises, allowing full access to their warehouse both for advice and bespoke orders, with excellent refreshments available in their staff room- in addition to an all-day barbeque. Exhibitors were primarily there to explain and demonstrate their products, but without any hard sell, just sound, technical information and helpful advice from the experts. HANDS ON DEMOS There were detailed demonstrations of Silca cutting machines, practical handson lock picking using Peterson picks and - arguably the most popular feature - an opportunity to try out the ZIEHFIX®Electronic-Pick. This was clearly an event enjoyed by all its participants, with products I had not come across before, and with a strong presence from the European Lockmaster Group. On a personal level, it was excellent to see at first hand many of the products that had been featured in The Locksmith journal and to meet advertisers and readers ‘in the flesh’ in a convivial atmosphere. To read more, visit www.locksmithjournal.co.uk