Arizona’s Trusted Locksmith & Security Company Since 1975
A-1 Locksmith & Security Center did not begin as a marketing idea or a franchise. It started because customers needed help.
In 1975, Ivan Shaw was working at a local hardware store when customers would buy locks and door hardware, then ask who could install them. Ivan saw the need and began helping after hours. What started as practical, honest work after the workday grew into a locksmith business serving Tempe, Scottsdale, and the surrounding Arizona communities.
His son, Tim, began working with him while still in high school. Together, they built the company the old-fashioned way — out of trucks and vans, one customer at a time, doing the work correctly and taking care of the people who trusted them.
That foundation still guides A-1 today.
Modern Security — When Quality Matters.
Serving Arizona Since 1975 | Licensed ROC #262872 & #351865 | BTR #81520 | A+ BBB Rated | Veteran-Owned | Based in Tempe, AZ
Our Arizona Roots
A-1’s early years were built around the Tempe and Scottsdale communities. The company’s Scottsdale Road location became part of its local identity, and the historic storefront photos from 1977, 1980, and 1981 show more than old buildings — they show the roots of a company that has been serving Arizona customers for decades.
Ivan and Tim Shaw were not trying to build the biggest locksmith company in town. They were building a dependable one. They worked, solved problems, took care of customers, and earned a good name locally.
By the mid-1980s, Tim purchased the company from his father and became the sole proprietor. He carried forward the same approach: quality workmanship, integrity, and care for both customers and employees.
That reputation became the reason A-1 lasted.
Continuing the Legacy
In 2021, A-1 entered its next chapter.
The company was already strong, respected, and profitable. It had an old-school reputation for quality locksmith work, strong local relationships, and a team that knew how to solve real door, lock, and hardware problems. Like many long-standing trade businesses, it was also ready for modernization — still operating with local server-based software, printed field work orders, and processes built for a different era.
The opportunity was not to replace what made A-1 special. The opportunity was to protect it.
A-1’s new ownership saw the same thing customers had seen for decades: quality workmanship, integrity, and a company worth preserving. The goal became clear — continue the legacy, modernize the operation, and grow A-1 into a premier locksmith and security contractor serving Arizona and the Southwest.
Not by becoming the cheapest option.
Not by lowering standards.
But by building a company for customers who value quality workmanship first.
Modern Security, Built on Real Locksmithing
The security industry has changed. Keys and mechanical locks still matter, but modern buildings now depend on access control, electrified hardware, alarms, cameras, ADA operators, commercial doors, safes, and ongoing system support.
A-1 has grown with that need.
What was once known primarily for keys, locks, locksmithing, and electrified hardware has expanded into a company that installs and supports complete entry and security solutions. Today, A-1 provides its own access control platforms and management, CCTV, alarm systems, ADA operators, commercial doors, and full-service locksmith support.
That growth came from a real gap in the commercial market: customers needed a quality provider who understood the entire opening — the key, the lock, the door, the hardware, the credential, the reader, the alarm, the camera, the safe, and the service relationship after installation.
A-1 fills that gap.
What “When Quality Matters” Means
“When Quality Matters” is not just a slogan.
It means A-1 is not the right company for every customer — and that is okay. We are the right company for customers who want the work done correctly, who value clear communication, and who expect the company they hire to stand behind the result.
The locksmith and security industry has too many bad actors. Customers are too often taken advantage of by unclear pricing, poor workmanship, rushed installations, or work that has to be repaired later by someone else.
A-1 was built to operate differently.
We believe in transparent expectations, realistic pricing, responsive communication, and follow-through. When a customer calls A-1, they should feel taken care of, put at ease, and confident that the person on the other end of the phone understands what is at stake.
Craftsmanship Still Matters
Locksmithing is a trade, and the craft still matters.
A-1’s future depends on preserving that craft while developing the next generation of technicians. Senior team members such as Dan, Paul, and Brian represent the kind of hands-on knowledge that cannot be replaced by a shortcut, a script, or a generic installation checklist.
That is why apprenticeship, training, and in-house performance matter to us.
We focus on building our own team, developing our own standards, and using trusted specialty partners only where the job calls for expertise outside our lane. Every job should reflect the same basic principle that started the company: help the customer, solve the problem, and do the work with pride.
Who We Serve Best
A-1 Locksmith & Security Center is a locally run professional security contractor with deep locksmith roots.
Our strongest relationships are often with small to mid-size commercial clients, owner-occupied properties, HOAs, property managers, facility managers, local businesses, and organizations that need a long-term security partner instead of a one-time service call.
We still serve homeowners across the Phoenix Valley, and residential work remains part of who we are. But the future of A-1 is commercial-first: helping businesses and property owners manage access, secure doors, protect people, and maintain systems that need to work every day.
Whether it is one lock, one door, one gate, or an entire building, the goal is the same — provide quality work and stand behind it.
Service Area
A-1 Locksmith & Security Center is based in Tempe and serves customers throughout the Phoenix metro area and surrounding Arizona communities.
Our service area includes Phoenix, Tempe, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Glendale, Peoria, Goodyear, Avondale, Carefree, Anthem, Fountain Hills, Cave Creek, Paradise Valley, San Tan Valley, Ahwatukee, Sun City, Surprise, Buckeye, and surrounding areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
How did A-1 Locksmith & Security Center get started?
A-1 Locksmith & Security Center began in 1975 when Ivan Shaw, who was working at a local hardware store, started helping customers install the locks and hardware they purchased. What began as after-hours installation work grew into a locksmith company serving Tempe, Scottsdale, and the surrounding Arizona communities.
Who built A-1 Locksmith in the early years?
Ivan Shaw started the company, and his son Tim began working with him while still in high school. Together, they built A-1 through hands-on locksmith work, trucks and vans, local service calls, and a reputation for taking care of customers.
When did Tim Shaw take over A-1 Locksmith?
By the mid-1980s, Tim Shaw purchased the company from his father and became the sole proprietor. He continued building A-1’s reputation for quality workmanship, integrity, and local customer service.
When did the current ownership take over A-1?
A-1 entered its current ownership chapter in 2021. The goal was to continue the company’s legacy, modernize operations, and grow A-1 from a traditional locksmith company into a premier locksmith and security contractor.
What does “When Quality Matters” mean?
“When Quality Matters” means A-1 is built for customers who value quality workmanship, clear communication, realistic expectations, and a company that stands behind its work. A-1 does not compete by lowering standards; it competes by doing the job correctly.
Is A-1 Locksmith & Security Center veteran-owned?
Yes. A-1 Locksmith & Security Center is veteran-owned, but the company story is bigger than one person. A-1’s identity is built on decades of local service, craftsmanship, integrity, and care for customers and employees.
What makes A-1 different from a dispatch locksmith?
A-1 is a local Arizona company with in-house standards, experienced technicians, and a long-standing reputation. We focus on transparent expectations, responsive communication, quality workmanship, and long-term relationships rather than one-time dispatch calls.
What kind of company is A-1 becoming?
A-1 is growing into a premier total entry solutions company. That means locksmithing remains at the foundation, while the company continues expanding access control, CCTV, alarms, ADA operators, commercial doors, safes, and full security system support.
Integrity — The Foundation of Our Tempe AZ Security Company
Initiative — How We Serve As Your Locksmith Tempe AZ
Ownership — Our Promise as Your Tempe AZ Security Company .
