Joe and Paula Clements, both military veterans, opened Clements Lock & Key at 3011 Arsenal in 1973. In its heyday, the shop employed eight full-time locksmiths; but as the decades passed and key needs changed, the staff was reduced to three: Joe, Paula, and long-time employee Scott Brouk. The trio kept the lock shop operating and continued to meet the needs of their clients, old and new, for many years - Paula manning the shop making keys, while Scott and Joe went out on service calls in the South City area. Joe's health suffered in his later years, and he passed away in April 2018. 

Over the next few weeks, Paula and Scott faced a conundrum - whether to keep the shop afloat or close up, as so many other locksmiths in the area had done over the past few years. The decision was made to keep the business and adapt it to meet the needs of the 21st century. With a little luck and a lot of work, a space at the rear of the old Globe building was built out, and Clements Lock & Key moved to Cherokee and became Clements Lock & Security. Clements now blends the old with the new by providing every thing from conventional keys to sophisticated access control systems.

Today, the shop is run by Scott, champion of the phrase "Keys made by humans work better!"

Pictured: Paula Clements at the grand opening of Clements Lock & Security