1055 Colonel Ledyard Highway . Ledyard, CT 06339 . 860-464-8664
Reach Us Personally~Never An Answering Service or Machine
8:30 am to 5 pm~Monday through Friday
www.aalockkey.com
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Newsletter KEY COMMUNICATIONS September 2010 Celebrates First Anniversary!
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 Welcome Readers,
Have the security tips we've passed along been helpful? This edition marks our first anniversary of producing Key Communications. As southeastern Connecticut's and western Rhode Island's top expert in the locksmithing field, our goal is to provide cutting-edge tips and trends for your business and home. We hope you are benefitting from our expertise! Drop us a note with any topics you would like to see covered in future editions.
Nothing can be more frustrating than when you don't have the right key when you need it! In this issue of Key Communications Dave will talk about organization of your keys. Read more...
Also, after taking instruction on X0-9 Locks , Bob passed the XO-9 Certification test... see below. And once again, we are including easy DIY tips for you.
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Our Contribution to the Industry 
Yankee Security Convention
COMING NEXT MONTH!
October 20-24, 2010
Dave serves as Education Coordinator for the Yankee Security Convention, Inc., a not-for-profit trade organization dedicated to the further learning and industry awareness of locksmith professionals in the Northeast Region of the country. Class selections have been confirmed and registration materials have been sent out to attendees. The country's top locksmith instructors, manufacturers and distributors will gather to show their best in the field. Thirteen educational classes will be held, with an additional 6 free night classes. The week culminates with proficiency testing through the Associated Locksmiths of America and the Institutional Locksmiths' Association, followed by the weekend trade show, featuring the newest, state-of-the-art products used by security professionals.
Check out the website - www.yankeesecurity.org |
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 Lock Lubricants
Since our article ran on how to maintain your locks in our  December 2009 E-Newsletter, we have sold several cans of GT 85 to our customers, who have been very satisfied with its performance. This product can be used year round.Click on GT 85 to learn more about its wide
range of uses.
Stop in and pick up a can of GT85, the lubricant we use in our locks at AA Lock & Key, Inc.! See the December 2009 E-Newsletter by clicking on archived newsletters.
Stay tuned to next month's Key Communications for more tips!
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DIY Tips
While some of our tips don't seem lock related, they certainly are security related and probably pertain to everybody. Photocopy all important documents (ie. driver's license, credit cards) that you may carry in your wallet or purse. (This is easily done on any copy machine.) Copy both sides, as they may contain important contact numbers. Do this periodically and keep the copies in a secure place, preferably a bolted down file cabinet or safe. This will make your life a little easier if you lose or someone steals your wallet.
Also, when traveling out of the country and a passport or visa is necessary, make a copy of the document and keep it with you in a safe place. Friends of ours had their back pack stolen in a restaurant while in Europe. Having copies of their passport made it much easier to secure new documents for the remainder of their travels.
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Continuing Education
As we reported in an earlier E-Newsletter, Bob successfully completed the course of instruction conducted by Kaba Mas in the technological and methodological proficiency in installation and operation of the X-09.
See our archived newsletter of April, 2010 for more information on the X-09. |
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OUR CEO
J. David Vessels, Chief Executive Officer, is
a Certified Professional Locksmith with the Associated Locksmiths of America, Inc. Dave also serves on the Board of Directors of the Yankee Security Convention, Inc. Dave is a Registered Locksmith with the State of CT, License #LCK.0000140.
Dave enjoys kayaking and fishing, especially on the coast of Maine. You can also find Dave "yakin" on the Thames River or its tributaries. He also likes to hike and kayak with Deb and their son Tom and fiance Cait, and daughter Vicky and boyfriend Ryan, as well as with the pups, Chica and Lola.
You may have noticed we said "Tom and fiance Cait" above...we are happy to announce there will be a wedding in 2011!
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Deborah H. Vessels, our President , oversees the daily operations of the business. Debbie worked for several years as the Administrative Assistant to the Mayor of Ledyard. She also has served as President of the Ledyard Middle School Parent Teacher Organization, Ledyard High School Music Boosters and the LHS Drug & Alcohol Free All Night Graduation Party Committee.
Debbie enjoys spending time with her family and hiking with Dave and chihuahuas Chica and Lola. Deb enjoys flower gardening, walking with girlfriends, birding and being outdoors. |
Kathy Crowell has been with AA Lock & Key since 1989. Kathy is most likely who you may hear on the other end of the phone when you call or see when you come to our office location. Her excellent "people" skills are most valuable to us. She handles our dispatch system, as well as our accounts receivables, payables and many of the myriad of things that come up on a daily basis here.
Kathy enjoys her family, and especially delights in the company of her grandsons. |
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OUR
LOCK TECHNICIAN
Bob Watrous, has been with AA Lock & Key since 2002. Bob is very proficient in all aspects of locksmithing. Through on-the-job training, classes at the Yankee Security Convention and his natural mechanical ability, Bob provides
top notch security solutions to our customers.
Bob is also well known for his friendly nature, honesty and integrity. We are pleased to have him as a member of our team! Bob is also a Registered Locksmith with the State of CT, License #LCK.0000142.
On weekends, you can find Bob playing drums for the local band, The Buzz.
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In 1988, 2 years after we started AA Lock & Key, we were very fortunate to
get a last minute call from a competitor who was closing his doors
permanently...right that minute! The only problem was that the call was at 4:45
pm on a Tuesday. Dave was already working over 60 hours a week and was on
emergency call at night. We had a 4 year old and were due any day with a new
baby. We would need an employee, van, etc., etc. After an evening of self pity, we pulled up our bootstraps and made the decision to forge ahead. It was a Wednesday, and we called the locksmith that had been working for the company that was going out of business. We interviewed him that day...and hired him on the spot to start work on the following Monday. A friend of Deb's was starting that day temporarily to get us through the crunch while we had the baby. Dave went out and bought another van that Friday and suited it up over the weekend as best he could.
Early Monday morning, Deb started feeling twinges and had some signs of the imminent birth...but then nothing happened. Thank goodness, as it was a day with two new employees!! We got through the week and on Thursday night, real labor started.
The Vessels Family
Victoria Elizabeth was born at 2:14 am on Friday morning, April 15th. We were all very excited about our new addition...and Dave got to go to work Friday morning. Thank you, Vicky, for holding off till Thursday night!! (Love you girl!) See Chapter 7 next month!
Big Brother Tom with Victoria
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About Us
As you may know, AA Lock & Key, Inc. was established in 1986. Our mission is to provide high quality security solutions to commercial, industrial, municipal and residential clients. You may see more about AA Lock & Key, Inc, by visiting our website at www.aalockkey.com.
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Remember...
You can always reach us personally by phone at 860-464-8664, from 8:30 am through 5 pm, weekdays. You will never get an answering service or machine during these hours. We hope you find this information helpful and look forward to hearing from you soon! We welcome your input about our E newsletter. Drop us a note at AALK@aol.com !
Yours in safety and security,
AA Lock & Key, Inc.
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KEY COMMUNICATIONS
NEWSLETTER | |
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Typical wall mounted key cabinets range in capacity from 8 to 500
keys and are usually secured with a key lock but keyless combination locks are
becoming more popular. One of the most important tips is to have one
person be responsible for maintaining the cabinet with a log in/out sheet when
the keys are used by several employees. Contact AA Lock & Key to obtain a key organization system.
Many larger companies may have masterkey systems with a much more complicated
trail of keys. There are several software packages available for keeping
these types of records. 
