SIR FIX-A-LOCK

Helping the people of Plymouth and beyond regain access to their homes, safely and non-destructively, all with a smile on his face. Sir Fix-a-Lock himself, Paul Montgomery takes huge pride in his work as Plymouth’s only Qualified Master Locksmith, and the positive impact he’s making on not only the local community but the planet. After investing an extensive amount of his military pension into the highest quality machinery and top-of-the-league locksmith courses, he has built the foundations of a succeeding business and would now like to give more back to the community. With a whole wall full of awards, a huge list of happy customers and the owner of the first Volkswagen electric van of its kind to hit the South West, he is on a mission to lead by example and help make Britain’s Ocean City more sustainable.

After a long and rewarding career in the military, Paul had his sights set on a new career path but he didn’t quite know what he was going to pursue. Firefighter? Pilot? Digger driver? What about becoming a locksmith? Something clicked inside Paul at the thought of a locksmith and he knew instantly he could do it well.

He spent the first 3 years investing every penny back into the business whilst he was also serving in the army. The money went to grow his reputation by ensuring he had the best tools for the job. He enrolled on a great locksmith course and has undergone various other courses to ensure his work is to the highest standard possible and that his team are well looked after.

Chris Belcher of ‘Bel-cher Locksmiths’, Plymouth’s number 1 locksmith at the time saw the great work that Paul was doing and decided to offer him a helping hand. Chris taught him everything he needed to know and much more which set Paul up, destined to succeed. Unbeknown to Paul at the time, Chris had already made plans to gift all of his clients to Paul once he was ready to retire. Paul thought very highly of Chris and was inspired by his loving and genuine personality which made this gift even more special.

The name, Sir Fix-a-Lock came from a lot of research and brainstorming of ideas. He wanted something that was fun, approachable and charismatic. If anybody has had the pleasure of meeting Paul, you would have noticed his brilliant personality and the fun-loving energy that he brings to the room, therefore the name had to match that. He told his brother about his new name idea and he instantly said ‘Sir Fix-a-Lock…Day & Knight!” And that was where the knight logo and branding originated from. He has got to a position now where he doesn’t offer 24-hour service as he wanted to spend more time with his loved ones however, the knight emblem still runs throughout.

With a steady increase in workflow, Paul decided it was time to take on a locksmith to balance the load. In January 2020, he took on James as the knights squire to help with these increasing demands to the business.

Sir Fix-a-Lock has continued to grow throughout its 12 years of business, even during the lockdown, he saw his largest influx of customers The first month of the complete lockdown in March, Paul decided to invest more money into his website because he thought, if people aren’t outside, then they’re going to be online. The response from the new website was huge and brought in so many more customers. As a ‘key worker’, both in the literal term and the covid term, Paul and James were able to continue helping people across Devon and Cornwall with lock and key-related issues.

In the past few months, Paul has been working on getting his new shop up and running. Inside this new shop located on The Hoe, there are key-cutting services, specialist locks from many different lock brands, UPVC door and window spares, master keys systems as well as personalised advice.

Outside of the shop, Sir Fix-a-Lock offer emergency locksmithing, usually within the hour depending on the severity of the situation. They are only contactable between the hours of 9-5pm to ensure Paul and his team are fit and functional for the job to be carried out safely. Other services they offer are uPVC doors and windows repairs. They are able to replace your uPVC window hinges, gearbox mechanism or handles, double glazed glass as well as service uPVC doors and windows, ensuring your doors close and lock with ease.
As a result of investing in the best tools and courses, he is able to unlock most doors in under a minute. The cost of his services are priced per door and not per hour to reflect his expertise and qualified status. Once Paul has assessed the door and knows it’s a simple job for him, he will give the customer two choices, they can either take the quick option and he can unlock it in under a minute or he can provide a big performance that will take 20 minutes. I don’t know about you but I would love to see the
second option.

To Paul, Sir Fix-a-Lock is his life and passion. He has invested all of its profits back into the business and has recently made huge efforts to become more environmentally friendly. He has invested £100,000 on sustainable items for the business such as solar panels to power all the electricity in his shop, a fully-electric Volkswagen ID Buzz which he uses as his main work van, and a fully electric BMW motorbike which he uses for small, local jobs. If the job requires just his toolbox and is in close walking distance, then he will travel on foot. Taking good care of the planet has always been a high priority for Paul and he hopes to lead a good example of the ways in which we can attempt to become more sustainable as individuals.

On a mission to give back to the community, Paul has raised over £110,000 for local charities so far. In the last two years alone, he has raised £36,000 for Plymouth Together in the wake of the Keyham Shooting and £27,000 for ReOrg, the charity Mark Ormrod MBE fronts. He hopes to be able to make a huge difference to people’s lives across Plymouth and Devon.

Paul is constantly thinking ‘what can I do to improve’ which not only grows his business but also keeps his staff happy and satisfied. He has invested his profits in the best tools for James too so that he is able to offer the same, excellent service. His team consists of 2 locksmiths, himself and James, an administrator and soon he will have a shop assistant. They are all equipped with Sir Fix-a-Lock uniforms in his iconic colours, red and black with gold and white logo. They even have Velcro badges with embroidered keys to signify their experience, an idea influenced by his time in the military. He hopes his team will carry with them a sense of pride and confidence with their smart uniforms and outstanding reputation.

Awards are plentiful in the Sir Fix-a-Lock office, they almost cover the wall up the stairs and hold some very proud moments for Paul. One, in particular, is the Gold Award to the Armed Forces Covenant Employers Recognition Scheme. This award is extremely difficult to earn and comes with a huge amount of respect. He has also gained several ‘Green Business’ awards for his efforts in sustainability.

Sir Fix-a-lock has an abundance of happy and loyal customers who have left genuine reviews. Here is an example of one.

Google review from Hazel B:

“I just wanted to say a big ‘thank you’ for fixing my broken UPVC door. I ‘phoned on a Thursday morning and would have been quite happy to have an appointment time the following week, but you managed to squeeze me in that day! James not only fixed my door, which I couldn’t unlock and open, but talked me through maintaining it. The price for the work was very reasonable. Great service, both professional and friendly. I would recommend your company as I’m 100% happy with the service you provided. Also, love the name!!”

Google Review from a business:

“I have never known a more reliable, approachable, and proactive contractor as Paul. He is always on hand to respond to emergencies, requests and provide advice for top notch safety and security. Our operation would not as be so smoothly led if it wasn’t for Paul’s quality workmanship and quick reactions. Highly recommend.”

Paul’s 10-year goal is to drop down to a 4-day week which will open up time for him and his family life. He has spent a lot of his time on his business and he hopes to repay the favour back to himself when the time is right. For this to happen, he would like to hire more locksmiths and grow the company whilst maintaining its strong reputation. Paul hasn’t finished improving the sustainability of his business either. There are always more ways to reduce your carbon footprint and make the planet cleaner and he hopes that other businesses will
follow suit.

With the hard work, time and money that Paul has put into Sir Fix-a-Lock, it’s no surprise that it’s continuing to succeed. Be sure to spot his electric VW van around Plymouth, you won’t miss it!