Medeco
Medeco is a high security lock manufacturer, located in Roanoke County, Virginia, United States. Medeco is a subsidiary of the Swedish Assa Abloy Group.
History
Mechanical Development Company, a tool and die shop, originally started in the mid-1950s by Paul A. Powell and Roy C. Spain in his basement in the Cave Spring area of Roanoke County. Spain later designed and received a patent (No. 3,499,303) for his new lock, which subsequently began Medeco as a company. Medeco was established in 1968 named after "Mechanical Development Company" in Salem.
As a promotional campaign, Mr. Spain advertised that anyone who could pick his new lock would receive $50,000. Many tried and failed, except for one detective from New York City, who was able to pick the lock once but not twice.
Mr. Spain's unique locking principle of angled key cuts and elevating and rotating pin tumblers that provided millions of key combinations and a level of security that was unmatched in its time. The locks were highly resistant to most forms of attack. The company expanded rapidly and contracted its original name into Medeco. The company's present 130,000-square-foot (12,000 m2) facility was opened in the mid 1970s.
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