Kwikset is an American

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and lockset manufacturer owned by

Assa Abloy Assa Abloy AB is a Swedish Group 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, tags, ...

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

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;

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

; and

Mexicali, Mexico Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali metropolitan area i ...

. Kwikset also has a facility in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Kwikset previously had manufacturing facilities in

Anaheim, California Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...

;

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; and

Waynesboro, Georgia Waynesboro () is a city and the county seat of Burke County, Georgia, United States. The population was 5,472 at the 2024 census. It is part of the Augusta, Georgia metropolitan area. Waynesboro is 37 minutes south of downtown Augusta by car v ...

; 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, United States. The population was 85,858 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to incorporation, the community had be ...

History

Adolph Schoepe and friend Karl Rhinehart founded Gateway Manufacturing Company in South Gate just before the end of World War II. They manufactured locks under the Kwikset brand. They moved the company to Anaheim in 1948. During the Korean War, demand plummeted, but the company took a risk, producing more goods than they could sell. When demand surged after the war, their ability to supply goods from the earlier manufactured stock cemented a position as the largest United States supplier of locks. Rhinehart retired in 1952. Schoepe sold the company in 1957, to American Hardware Corporation. They merged with Emhart Manufacturing Corporation in 1964.

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

purchased the company 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. Kwikset subsequently became part of the Hardware and Home Improvement (HHI) Group of Stanley Black & Decker, which also owned lockset manufacturers Weiser and Baldwin. Kwikset 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'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...

'' reported that

Spectrum Brands Spectrum Brands Holdings, Inc. is an American multinational consumer products conglomerate headquartered in Middleton, Wisconsin. It was established in 2005 as the successor to Rayovac Corporation. The company manufactures and markets home ...

Holdings, Inc. had agreed to acquire the HHI division from Stanley Black & Decker's, 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. On June 20, 2023, the purchase of the "HHI" division of Spectrum Brands was completed, this included the Kwikset brand.

References

Kwikset company history

External links

* {{Official website 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