A story of how Tom Whatley transformed HBL Security Solutions (previously Herne Bay Locks) from a Saturday job as a teen in the van with his dad into one of Kent’s leading locksmith businesses. His journey blends family, growth, and commitment to sharing knowledge.
Tom has spent almost two decades building a business that reflects both tradition and innovation. He’s now the co-owner and director of a thriving business with five employees, a storefront in Swalecliffe, and a growing reputation in auto and general locksmithing.
From father & son in a van
I started working with my dad when I was 16, though really I was tagging along on Saturdays well before that. My father, Robert, opened Herne Bay Locks back in 2000, working from home with just a van. It was always the plan for me to join him, I suppose it just must have been in my blood.
At first it was just the two of us, a proper father-and-son set up. I’d learn by watching him, then eventually we’d both go out together on jobs. Once I learned to drive, I had my own van, and that’s when we started to cover more ground. Those early days taught me the basics: hard work, looking after customers, and figuring things out on the fly.
Growing pains
When you move from a small family business to employing people, you face challenges you never imagined. Suddenly, it’s not just you and your dad covering the bills – you’ve got wages to meet, responsibilities for other people, and laws around employment to wrap your head around. That takes you right out of your comfort zone.
It’s good pressure though. Growth brings more work, more services, and more opportunities. For us, it meant moving from our first shop on Stanley Road – which we outgrew after ten years – to our current premises in Swalecliffe, Oyster Bay. That was a massive leap forward. The new space gave us room to expand, bring in new tech, and push harder into vehicle security.
Why auto locksmithing became the focus
We still do general and domestic locksmithing, but vehicle work has become our bread and butter. Key programming, immobiliser problems, trackers, van deadlocks -those are the jobs people really need specialists for.
I gained my skills through the Auto Locksmiths Association (ALA) and a lot of self-research. The great thing about being part of ALA is the support. There’s a WhatsApp group where, if you’re stuck on a job, you can throw the question out and get a response almost instantly, and if the person who replies doesn’t know, they’ll know someone who does. That kind of support is invaluable. It means you’re never really on your own, even when you’re stressing over a problem car on a dark, cold, winter’s night.
Growing through apprentices
One of the quirks of our business is how it’s grown through employing apprentices. We took on Liam when he was just 17 and he’s now been with the business 8 years. I trained him up myself, which wasn’t always easy – teaching someone else makes you rethink everything you do. But it worked. He’s now 25, a brilliant locksmith, and a real asset to the team.
What’s funny is that Liam now teaches me things. He’ll come back from a job and show me a trick or a new approach, and it keeps me on my toes. That’s the best bit of growing a team – seeing someone you trained start to lead and pass knowledge down.
We’ve even got a second apprentice, Sam, who’s been with us a year and a half. Liam’s the one taking him out in the van and showing him the ropes. That’s full circle for me, watching the apprentice I taught become the trainer himself.
Business ownership: the pros & cons
I love the challenge of running a business, every job is different, every day is different, that’s what keeps it fresh. The bit I don’t love is the long hours and the time away from family. I’ve got a 10-year-old daughter, and missing out on things with her is the hardest part.
The dream is to build the business up enough that we can step back a little, let the team carry the load, and spend more time with family. But for now, I enjoy being hands-on, being involved in every aspect, and seeing the company grow.
Building relationships & credibility
We’ve always had strong links with local customers, but one of our big goals is to build more relationships with organisations like care homes, schools, and local councils. It’s a slow burn – it’s not easy to get them to engage – but once you’ve got that relationship, it’s worth its weight in gold.
That’s also where being MLA-approved makes a difference. Customers want that reassurance, and being vetted and inspected under the Master Locksmiths Association gives us credibility. It shows we’re serious about standards.
The ALA committee & giving back
Two years ago I joined the ALA committee, and that’s been a brilliant experience. They put so much work in behind the scenes to keep the industry strong, and it feels good to pay some of that back.
Helping other people in the trade is important to me. This industry can feel isolated at times, but when you’ve got support networks, training opportunities, and the chance to give back, it makes a huge difference.
Looking ahead
The next step for us is to keep growing in Kent. We’d like to become one of the leaders in the area, both for vehicle locksmithing and general services. It’s a slow process, but we’re determined.
We’ve invested in marketing, brought in a team to handle social media, rebuild our website, and build databases to reach new customers. We’ve also introduced vehicle trackers and smart locks into our services. That mix of traditional locksmithing with new tech is where I see the industry heading.
One thing I want to hold onto as we grow is that family business feeling. Dad still works in the business, my wife Amy is a director alongside me, and the apprentices we’ve trained feel like part of the family too. That’s what makes us different, we’re not just a locksmith company, we’re a solid team with a passion for doing things properly.
www.hernebaylocks.co.uk
info@hernebaylocks.co.uk
01227 749494
07841 586866
Based in Swalecliffe, Oyster Bay, HBL Security Solutions has grown from a father-and-son van operation into a leading locksmith business in Kent. Founded in 2000 by Robert Whatley, the company now employs five staff, specialises in vehicle key programming, trackers, van deadlocks, smart locks, and general locksmithing, and are members of the Auto Locksmiths Association (ALA) and approved by the Master Locksmiths Association.