The Beginning of FinBolt - Winning MLA Expo 2019 Best Product Award

Every two years, the Master Locksmith Association holds Europe’s largest locksmith exhibition participated by more than 100 lock manufacturers, locksmith tools and security product suppliers across Europe.

FinFort exhibited at MLA Expo 2019, presenting the FinBolt automatic deadbolt (then called the Fin Lock) and won ‘Best Product’ award. The FinBolt is a BS8621 morticed, automatic deadbolt that can be fitted at the top, middle or bottom of the door.

The MLA Expo 2021 was held in Telford on the 22nd – 24th October and made us reflect on what winning this prestigious award in 2019 meant to us; recognition, credibility, exposure and opportunities!

Recognition

Being awarded Best Product at MLA Expo 2019 is recognition from the foremost locksmith & security trade body in the security industry and is extremely gratifying. It made the long design journey creating an innovative product feel extremely worthwhile.

Enhanced credibility

The MLA Expo Best Product award is a respected badge of authority that proved instrumental in our launch of the FinBolt. It increased our credibility as trusted innovators with a high-quality product making it much easier to introduce our product to locksmiths, architectural ironmongers and directly to homeowners.  

Exposure

Winning the award generated exposure in trade publications.  Winning the award generated exposure in trade publications including the Locksmith Journal, Building Talk and more. 

Follow-on opportunities

The MLA Expo award has opened other doors to more opportunities. Winning the Best Product Award confirms the FinBolt’s quality and innovativeness and this seal of approval has created a pathway to other awards. The FinBolt Triple Door Set has recently won the SBID International Design Award 2021 in the Interior Fittings category.

Our journey from MLA Expo to market

Our first experience of the MLA Expo was in 2017 when we exhibited our concept of the FinBolt morticed automatic deadbolt (then called the Fin Lock) in prototype form. Through the Expo we were connected with hundreds of locksmiths and received invaluable industry feedback which helped shape the final design of the FinBolt that we brought back to MLA Expo 2019.

After two years of trial and error,  we participated in MLA Expo 2019 with the final design of the BS8621 FinBolt automatic deadbolt in its various applications as a morticed night latch, a morticed deadbolt, an auto-deadlocking code lock and a smart cylinder. The positive response from judges and the locksmiths gave us the confidence to launch FinBolt to the market.

What we did since winning the MLA Expo 2019 Best Product award

Despite the turmoil of lockdown, we launched the BS8621 FinBolt morticed automatic deadbolt for direct online sales to trade and the general public mid 2020. Later in 2020, we introduced the BS3621 kitemarked FinKey manual deadbolt which comes with the same popular large escutcheon plates.

Finfort Triple Door Lock Set Automatic Deadbolts

Over the past 12 month, the engagement from MLA locksmiths has been fantastic and we are delighted that a large number of MLA locksmiths are official stockists of the FinBolt range of door locks & door sets. 

Grateful and proud to be part of the MLA community

We have received tremendous technical input, market insight and encouragement from many MLA locksmiths which was instrumental in shaping the final design of the FinBolt automatic deadbolt. These locksmiths are now firm advocates for the product recommending it to their customers and other locksmiths. 

We are proud to be part of the MLA community which shares our values of quality, integrity, innovation and determination to provide homeowners with the best security solutions, service and advice.