Ian Casson Featured in Locksmith Journal

We're proud to share that Ian Casson, founder of Excalibur Auto Locksmiths, was profiled in Locksmith Journal — the UK's independent trade publication for the locksmith industry.

The piece, published on 26 February 2026, tells the story of how Ian built one of the North West's longest-established mobile auto locksmith businesses — and why, more than forty years on, reputation still matters more than advertising.

Getting in early

Ian started out as a sheet metal worker before moving into locksmithing in 1983, when formal auto locksmith courses barely existed. He taught himself the trade, fitting deadlocks on homes and car locks on vehicles, and quickly spotted a gap in the market.

With little competition at the time, word spread fast. Based in Billinge, between Wigan and St Helens, the business grew from a small family outfit — Ian's wife handled the books, and son Adam would later learn the trade hands-on over twelve months at his father's side.

Steel doors, then back to cars

Before focusing entirely on auto locksmithing, Ian also built a successful steel security door business — supplying heavy-duty doors to Wickes stores nationwide and working with schools and industrial clients. After ten years, he handed the steel side to his brother and committed fully to vehicle keys, locks and immobilisers. It proved to be the right call.

Police connections in those early years helped establish trust on both sides of the business — home security work that naturally led into vehicle access and key replacement.

Built on relationships, not adverts

The article highlights something our long-standing customers already know: Excalibur has worked with Ford, Vauxhall and Enterprise for around twenty years as a nominated contractor. Much of the work still comes through reputation and repeat business rather than paid advertising.

Ian puts it simply — do the job right, and it pays back. That philosophy runs through the business today, with Adam now directing day-to-day operations while Ian stays on as reserve, still taking callouts when needed.

Learning the trade properly

One message Ian is keen to pass on: experience matters. Modern vehicles demand far more than a short training course can provide. Adam learned by working alongside Ian for a full year — the kind of hands-on apprenticeship that builds real skill, not just certificates.

It's why we're equally proud of our Auto Locksmiths Association (ALA) membership and SERMI authorisation — recognised standards that back up decades of practical work in the field.

Still going — and still enjoying it

Ian has been an ALA member for 25 years, and the article captures his well-known sense of humour — including his line at association events that he's "the only Scouser who gives you your keys rather than pinching them."

Planned retirement keeps getting postponed. As Ian says in the interview, forty-plus years later the business is still trusted, still busy, and still built on doing things the right way.

Read the full interview

You can read Charlotte Armstrong's full piece on the Locksmith Journal website.

To learn more about Ian, Adam and the team behind Excalibur Auto Locksmiths, visit our About page — or call 07961 589177 for mobile auto locksmith service across Wigan, Liverpool, St Helens and the North West.