Business & Tech
Locksmith Found the Key to Success
Matthew Carmone of King Lock Company says finding a job that he loves has led to a good life in West Barrington.
Four years as a civil engineer in the Air Force took Barrington resident Matthew Carmone in an unexpected direction when he left the service at 23.
A short stint as a contractor left Carmone feeling unfulfilled, and when his wife Deborah saw an advertisement in 1984 in the employment section of the newspaper for a locksmith in Providence, Carmone leaped at the chance to do something he was familiar with and good at.
Although Carmone grew up in East Providence, his maternal grandparents lived in West Barrington, and he spent a lot of his childhood summers with them.
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Deborah grew up in the Spring Avenue neighborhood in Barrington, so when the chance to rent a house in that area came up after Carmone’s discharge from the Air Force, the newlyweds were quick to seize the opportunity. While renting, a house around the corner became available for sale, and the Carmones decided to became permanent residents of the neighborhood.
During the three years that he worked in Providence, Carmone became friends with other locksmiths in the state, one of whom was the owner of King Lock Co., started in 1975.
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“A good friend worked for Mister King, and I got to know him,” said Carmone. “One Sunday he showed up at my front door and said 'I want to retire. Do you want to buy my business?’”
Carmone knew a good opportunity when he saw one. He bought the business in 1987, and he has been busy repairing and re-keying locks, installing deadbolts, and taking care of the needs of his residential and commercial clients throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. Deborah does the bookkeeping.
“I’m busy the whole day, every day,” said Carmone.
His services have been in such demand, in fact, that he recently added a second vehicle, and his son, Alan, came to join him in the business two months ago.
Carmone is pleased that fate conspired to bring him to Barrington, and give him the life that he has led.
“I like living in my neighborhood, and my business has been good to me,” he said.
Need a locksmith? Call 401-245-0350.