Safety by Design
The Turner deadbolt is the brainchild of Robert Boehlow of St. Louis, Missouri. A mechanical engineer by trade, Boehlow is the kind of person who is fascinated by finding practical solutions to everyday problems. He is a down-to-earth, pragmatic Midwesterner who had a simple vision: to build a more convenient deadbolt that didn't require a key to engage the lock.
Boehlow's inspiration for this deadbolt came during the winter of 1989. Warming up his car while he waited inside his house was a common morning ritual for Boehlow. However, every time he left his home, he found it frustrating that he had to walk out to the running car, grab his keys from the ignition, and return to his front door to lock his deadbolt. After walking back to lock his door on a particularly frigid winter morning, Boehlow decided there had to be a better solution.
Boehlow started doing his homework, and realized he wasn't the only one put off by the unnecessary step of using a key to lock his deadbolt. After doing some digging, he discovered that nearly 50 percent of all people with deadbolts on their main entry doors fail to lock them.
Shortly thereafter, Boehlow decided to start building what he knew was to become the best deadbolt on the market. He had a clear vision of what the finished product would look like, but making it a reality wasn't quite as simple. Boehlow spent years perfecting his plans for the deadbolt, and eventually produced a suitable prototype. By the mid-1990s, Boehlow was well on his way to a solid design.
Boehlow continued to believe that the lock was an innovative product that could succeed in the consumer marketplace. He took his lock to a leading wholesale supplier for locksmiths, and the company distributed 50 prototype locks to its customer base of professional locksmiths for feedback. The industry experts were fascinated with the product, and the company was interested in licensing the Turner deadbolt. However, they were unable to secure a manufacturer.
Soon after, Boehlow met Robert Viviano, who had expertise in product development. The two agreed to partner in the development of the Turner deadbolt. Viviano's years of experience in the hardware and construction industry brought unique and invaluable insight to the project. Together, Boehlow and Viviano worked to refine and co-invent the final patented design. Viviano also leveraged existing relationships in Asia and his intimate knowledge of the culture to forge partnerships with overseas manufacturers. After years of hard work, Boehlow and Viviano were ready to bring the deadbolt to market.
Safety by Design. was developed around the Turner deadbolt concept with the belief that it could serve as a flagship product in a portfolio of superior home safety products. Inspired by their straightforward, design-oriented approach to home safety products, Safety by Design intends to build a full suite of home safety products, built from the inside out, with the consumer in mind.