Hear from Our Customers
You know the feeling when an employee quits and you’re not sure if they returned all their keys. Or when you need to let a contractor in at 6 AM but you’re not there yet. That’s the daily friction that eats at you.
Access control systems let you grant or remove building access from your phone. No physical key handoff. No wondering if someone made a copy. You see who entered, when they entered, and you can lock them out instantly if something changes.
The systems we install in Colwyn use mobile credentials that work like a digital key on a smartphone. You’re not printing cards or cutting keys. You’re sending permissions that can be scheduled, limited to certain doors, or revoked the moment someone’s employment ends. It’s faster, cleaner, and you’re always in control.
We’ve been operating in Delaware County since the late 1800s. We’re now on our fourth generation, with Tom McCausland and his daughter Chrissy running the shop in Prospect Park. That’s over 140 years of handling locks, keys, and access systems for businesses and property owners across the region.
We’re the largest locksmith operation in the Delaware Valley, and we’ve seen security evolve from mechanical locks to cloud-based access control. Colwyn businesses call us because we understand both the old systems you’re replacing and the new technology you’re moving toward. We’re local, we’re experienced, and we’re not going anywhere.
We start with a free walkthrough of your property in Colwyn. You show us which doors need control, who needs access, and what your concerns are. We’re looking at door types, existing hardware, network setup, and how people move through your building.
From there, we recommend a system that fits your needs. That might be a cloud-based platform with mobile credentials, a card reader setup, or a biometric system if you need higher security. We’re not upselling you on features you won’t use.
Installation happens on your schedule. We mount readers, wire the controllers, integrate with your network, and program the credentials. Then we train you or your team on how to add users, set schedules, and pull entry logs. You’ll know how to manage it before we leave. If something breaks or you need changes later, we’re a local call away.
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You’re getting door entry systems that replace physical keys with credentials you control remotely. That includes the hardware—readers, controllers, strikes or maglocks—and the software platform where you manage everything. Most of the systems we install in Colwyn are cloud-based, which means you’re not maintaining a server and you can manage access from anywhere.
You also get mobile credential capability. Your employees download an app, you send them a digital key, and their phone unlocks the door. No cards to print, no keys to track. If someone loses their phone, you deactivate their credential in seconds.
We handle integration with your existing security setup if you’ve got cameras or alarms. And because Colwyn sits in Delaware County where property crime is a real concern—over 192,000 incidents annually across Pennsylvania—we make sure your system logs every entry. You’ll know who came in, when, and through which door. That audit trail matters if something goes missing or if your insurance asks questions.
Yes. Most commercial access control systems we install allow for key override. The electronic credential is the primary method, but you can still unlock the door with a physical key if the system goes down or if you need emergency access.
That said, the whole point is to move away from keys. If you’re still handing out keys to everyone, you’re not getting the benefit. The best approach is to use keys only for emergency backup and let the access control system handle day-to-day entry.
If you’ve got doors that don’t need electronic control—like a storage closet or a back office—you can leave those on traditional locks. We’ll help you figure out which doors actually need access control and which ones don’t.
It depends on the system. Most cloud-based access control systems store credentials locally on the door controller, so even if your internet drops, the doors still work. People can still unlock doors with their credentials because the controller has that information cached.
What you lose during an outage is remote management. You won’t be able to add or remove users from your phone until the connection is back. But your employees aren’t locked out, and the system keeps logging entries locally. Once the internet reconnects, those logs sync to the cloud.
If uptime is critical for your operation in Colwyn, we can discuss systems with cellular backup or offline functionality. It adds cost, but it’s worth it for some businesses.
For a small business in Colwyn with two or three doors, you’re typically looking at $1,500 to $4,000 depending on the system and features. That includes hardware, installation, and setup. If you want mobile credentials and cloud management, you’re on the higher end. If you’re okay with basic card readers, you’re on the lower end.
There’s also a monthly fee for cloud-based systems, usually $50 to $150 depending on how many doors and users you have. That covers software updates, cloud storage for entry logs, and remote management access.
We don’t push the most expensive option. We ask what you need, what your budget is, and we give you a quote that makes sense. If you’re just trying to control one entrance and you’ve got ten employees, we’re not selling you a system built for a hundred doors.
Yes, in most cases. If you’ve already got a CCTV system running in your Colwyn building, we can integrate it with your new access control setup so that when someone badges in, the camera records that entry. It’s useful if you need to verify who actually came through the door.
The integration depends on what camera system you’re using and what access control platform we’re installing. Some systems talk to each other natively. Others require a third-party integration or a unified platform. We’ll assess your current setup during the walkthrough and let you know what’s possible.
If your cameras are outdated or incompatible, we can also handle a camera upgrade at the same time. We install CCTV systems alongside access control, so you’re not dealing with multiple contractors.
You log into the access control platform—usually a web dashboard or mobile app—find the employee’s name, and deactivate their credential. It takes about thirty seconds. Their phone or card stops working immediately.
If they had a physical key, you’d need to rekey the lock or change the cylinders, which costs money and takes time. With access control, you’re just clicking a button. That’s the main reason businesses in Colwyn upgrade to these systems.
You can also set expiration dates when you create credentials. If you’re granting temporary access to a contractor or a vendor, you can program their credential to stop working after a certain date. You don’t have to remember to revoke it manually.
Not necessarily, but it depends on your situation. If you’ve got three employees who’ve been with you for years and you’re not worried about turnover, a good lock and key system might be fine. Access control makes more sense when you’ve got turnover, multiple shifts, or contractors coming and going.
It also matters if you’re in a higher-risk area. Colwyn’s crime rate sits at 26.44 per 1,000 residents, and property crime is a real issue across Delaware County. If you’re storing inventory, equipment, or sensitive information, access control gives you visibility and control that keys can’t.
The other factor is convenience. If you’re tired of driving to the office to let someone in, or if you want to see who’s accessing your building after hours, access control pays for itself in time saved. We’ll walk through your situation and tell you honestly whether it makes sense or not.
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