Well ladies and gentlemen, the time has come. LockNet is officially getting ready to say our farewells to the Courchelle building. The final touches are being done on the new office, and we will be moving our business operations there effective September, 14.
In preparation for the move, everyone is doing “the great purge.” I don’t know that I’ve ever seen the dumpster so full. Luckily I went through my years of accumulated files and junk when I came back from maternity leave. (No, I’m not crying because I miss my baby, thank you very much. It’s just allergies from all the dust I’m stirring up while cleaning.) It’s amazing to see all of the things that are unearthed. We found some VHS training tapes for the Sur-Lock. As much as I would love to hold onto them for nostalgia’s sake, we don’t have a VHS player anymore.
We are boxing up files and our desk knick-knacks. Some of us are foregoing our desks to work on folding tables for the next week or so. I believe I will be writing my next blog post from the comfort of a picnic table; I can’t promise it won’t be about food.
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The New LockNet Building History
The building we are moving to has an interesting history behind it. It has been around since the 1970s. Check out what the area looked like back then. The building is circled in red (the X is where Kroger is).
Now check out what the area looks like today. Times certainly have changed!
My grandfather, Harry Miller, and my father, Benson Miller, ran the Burnz-o-matic Surfire Blowtorch business out of the John C. Watts facility. After selling that business, Benson invented the Ready Press Fold-Away Ironing Board and ran Millex out of the building.
The building then sat vacant for a while as Benson started LockNet and was then rented out by another company. Around that time, LockNet moved from the basement of Lockmasters into the current Courchelle building.
When LockNet purchased the door division in 2001, our shipping and production moved from the warehouse area of Courchelle (currently full of desks) to the John C. Watts facility. We were busting at the seams and moved our production operations to the new warehouse on Capital Court in 2014. Now, we are brimming over at the Courchelle facility and have converted the John C. Watts facility to a brand-spanking-new office.
Don’t worry; you’ll see a post about the construction process as soon as we move. I’ll get some fun pictures today while they pour the blacktop in our parking lot (my daughter is coming down to watch; nothing like “big diggers” to mesmerize a toddler).
Be sure to check back in a few weeks to see pictures of our new building!