Pop-a-Lock

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Pop-A-Lock is a franchise locksmith company in the United States, based in Lafayette, Louisiana. Is the largest full service locksmith company in the US..

Pop-A-Lock was founded by former law enforcement officers, Carl Vincent and Steve Gremillion. The company began granting franchises in 1994. Since that time they have grown to over 140 franchise areas providing service to more than 4,000 communities nationwide.

Pop-A-Lock conducts training of new franchisees, Locksmiths and Car Door Unlocking Technicians.

The current CEO of Pop-A-Lock is Donald Marks. Director of Marketing- Scott Clause. Director of Operations - Robert Reynolds Crl,Cps. Director of Franchise Development - Michael Kleimeyer.

The Wall Street Journal reports[1] that franchisees can be on call 24 hours per day, with the telephone ringing "as often at 3 a.m. as [it would] at three in the afternoon" according to one franchisee, who explains that "People work night shifts, or have to leave their suburbs at 5 a.m. for jobs that start at 7 a.m., and need their cars opened then."

The Wall Street Journal also reports[2] the franchisor and franchisees[3] negotiating a new franchise agreement out of court in 2004, with the company promising to train interns to become master locksmiths, then to turn them over to franchisees, at no cost, to help them expand the services they can offer.

Also in 2004, Garan Wilson, a locksmith at Pop-A-Lock, had to unlock between 200 and 250 locks in stores in Lafayette, Louisiana at 05:00, when a vandal had filled them with glue overnight.[4]


[edit] References

  1. ^ Bennett, Julie. "Rude Awakenings May Await New Franchisees", Wall Street Journal, 2002-10-22. 
  2. ^ Gibson, Richard. "Franchise Head Prefers Avoiding the Courtroom", Wall Street Journal, 2004-01-29. 
  3. ^ Sam Landers. POP-A-LOCK NEWS. American Franchisee Association news. Retrieved on October 27, 2005. — news of the negotiated franchise agreement from the president of the Pop-A-Lock Franchise Owners Association
  4. ^ "Glued Store Locks Investigated", KLFY, 2004-11-26.