1. Give us a brief history of your organization.
Pop-A-Lock was born in 1991 when local law enforcement officers in Lafayette, Louisiana recognized the need for a car locksmith in their community. Since then, Pop-A-Lock has grown to become the largest professional locksmithing franchise in North America. Our original Lafayette location is now the national training facility and corporate headquarters for Pop-A-Lock. While our main focus is on emergency automotive locksmith services and making keys, we also offer a full range of services for your home, business, and commercial security.
2. What would you tell the rest of Acadiana makes you special?
What makes us special is our EDU, Emergency Door Unlocking Service. The founders of Pop-A-Lock noticed a need for an emergency service to save kids trapped in locked vehicles. They have seen it happen to families too many times, typically when a parent or caregiver makes a change in their routine. When someone is not accustomed to handling this responsibility, a lapse in memory can occur. As a result, the PAL Saves Kids program was created to rescue children in locked vehicles.
3. What are you most proud of?
Regarding the PAL Saves Kids Program, since this program began, over 350,000 children (and counting) have been saved across the U.S. at no charge to families or caregivers. We are proud to be able to offer a service that can save children and families.
4. Where do you see your organization in 10 years? What are your plans for the future?
In 10 years’ time, we want to continue to be the world’s largest locksmithing franchise, but with triple the locations we currently have. We want to expand our current 8500 communities we proudly serve.
5. 1A is making an impact as we take an active role in improving the community we live in. Our members are making an impact, too! – What does impact mean to you? How is your company making an impact?
Impact to us means making a noticeable positive difference for those around you. This is why we created our PAL Saves Kids Program. It’s a way for our franchisees to use their locksmithing skills to better the community and help those around them. That idea is what made us create Pop-A-Lock, and it’s what pushes us to continue to develop initiatives, dive deep into ways we can continue to help our customers, and at a larger scale, make the world a safer place.
We sincerely want to thank Acadiana for their continued support, because without them, we would not be where we are today. The community of Acadiana continues to allow us to make an impact.