ELECTROLOCK FINDS KEY TO SUCCESS
By Kevin T. Czerwinski
The big sign over the doorway 87 Lafayette Avenue screams LOCKSMITH. There's no getting around that.
But the idea that Randy Ortiz or Paul Costakis, the owners of Electrolock Inc., fit the image of traditional locksmiths is about as truthful as saying the folks at Il Villaggio only make pizza. The days of the old man with the monstrous-sized key ring looking to help someone whose been locked out of their house or car are fading fast.
Sure, Ortiz and Costakis still perform the traditional locksmith duties. They make keys, install locks and will help those in need who find themselves looking at the wrong side of the front door knowing the house keys are on the dining room table. But there's a whole lot more going on in that Lafayette Avenue shop.
"It's nice to let people know what we really do," Ortiz said. "Not a lot of people know that we do high-tech security. We install security services and have a support system for them. It's a little different than people might think. It's not just offering the $8 pizza on Monday nights.
"Doing locksmith work is not our bread and butter. It's probably five percent of our business. Our bread and butter is security integration systems."
So, if you're looking for keys to be made or a lock to be installed, visit Ortiz and Costakis because they will be able to help you. But if you need a fire protection system, a burglar alarm, an access control system or a surveillance system then Electrolock is also the place where you should be shopping.
Electrolock has been in the Village since 1994, starting off on Orange Avenue before moving to its current location in 1998. Business has improved every year to the point where Electrolock works not only with Village residents but Fortune 500 companies as well.
The client list includes Coca-Cola, the Salvation Army, Marymount College, Mercy College, Good Samaritan Hospital, Bon Secours Community Hospital, Apple Ridge Country Club, the Tuckahoe Housing Authority, Par Pharmaceuticals and the Town of Ramapo. The company is currently working with the Suffern Police Department on installing a remote wireless video system in the Village that can be monitored from the police station, a system that is expected to be up and running sometime this spring.
"I love being in the Village," said Ortiz, 47, who grew up in Hillcrest and went to Ramapo High School. "I love living and working in the Village. You run into everyone you know. We try to get involved with as many organizations as we can. It's nice being here."
Ortiz worked in White Plains for 15 years prior to opening the company. He knew it was time to branch out on his own when he asked his former boss for a raise and was told no. So he and Costakis went looking for a place to open shop and they didn't have to look very far.
"When my boss said no I realized that I had topped out," Ortiz said. "We realized there was no locksmith in Suffern and we used that as a catalyst to build our business. We started this and our goal was to hire one guy. We wondered when we would hire our first guy and now we have four full-time employees and two part-time employees."
There's quite bit going on behind that sign that says "Locksmith" on Lafayette Avenue. A great deal more than most folks could possibly imagine.
Free two-hour parking is available on the street in the Village while the Parking Authority's lots are free for three hours. The lots behind and adjacent to the Lafayette Theater are the closest to Electrolock.