SDC

SECURITY DOOR CONTROLS develops, manufactures and markets mechanical door locks and exit devices, access controls, electronic locking devices and security systems worldwide. Arthur V. Geringer, D.A.H.C., with commitment of his personal funds, founded the company in 1972. Assembly of SDC products takes place in the United States and is available worldwide.

SDC brand products are channeled through security products wholesale distributors, systems integrators, contract and wholesale door hardware distributors. Additionally, SDC designs and manufactures products for several Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), who sell SDC products under their own label. Sales are conducted through over 40 sales offices to service accounts.

A leader in the innovation of products within the electronic security and architectural openings industries, SDC holds scores of patents and trademarks. SDC’s locking systems can be found in virtually any application where access control of a door is required; for example, industrial, commercial, retail facilities, technology centers, high-rise buildings, nuclear power plants, laboratories, museums, art galleries, libraries, schools and universities, airports and transportation facilities, government centers and military bases throughout the world.

The company’s products and systems can be found in thousands of facilities, such as High-rise structures throughout most major U.S. cities from Los Angeles to New York; Duke Power Nuclear plants, North Carolina; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Exxon, U.S.A; Bank of America facilities, U.S.A.; Chase Manhattan Bank , U.S.A; and many airports including JFK International;, O’Hare, Chicago; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Edwards Air Force Base, California; Chek Lap KOK Airport, Hong Kong; Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia; and Saudi Arabia’s two largest airports located in Riyadh and Jeddah.

CORPORATE HISTORY

Arthur V. Geringer DAHC, CEO of Security Door Controlsgrew up in his father’s architectural hardware business in Chicago. At age four, his parents let him stack hinges at the family’s contract hardware business in Chicago. In 1945, Geringer moved to California, where he was employed at a major Los Angeles contract hardware firm. At age 29, he received his Architectural Hardware Consultant Certificate (AHC). Geringer eventually moved to an automatic door firm.

Through his work in the door and hardware industry he recognized more needs for electric locking devices and how their problems with building codes and life-safety became apparent. On a sales call in Sacramento, he explained to the California State Fire Marshall that many owners were looking for ways to legally lock their high-rise stairwell doors on the stair side and continued to illegally chain together exit devices to overcome the problem of break-ins. Without the chains it was simple to insert a coat hanger through the door gap and pull down the panic bar to gain entry. Hence the use of chains and paddle locks that created fire safety hazard. Geringer had the idea that an electric lock energized only after hours and tied to the fire life safety system could eliminate this problem. Unfortunately, existing codes did not permit use of electric locks on stair tower doors in buildings over 70 feet high nor the locking of perimeter doors of commercial buildings. The California State Fire Marshall responded by providing criteria for a lock the state would approve; a minimum life of 800,000 cycles and the capability of unlocking without the use of a spring when signaled by the fire life safety system. At that time in 1972, a lock capable of 100,000 cycles was considered high quality. As a result, Geringer designed (see details Arthur Geringer Bio) and produced a prototype of a lock for perimeter building doors, taking his working model to the Fire Marshall to demonstrate the integrity of the mechanism. The Fire Marshal liked what he saw and After one million cycles in UL testing laboratories, the lock still worked and would release without relying on a spring. The device was approved, and the modern lock industry began. The SDC FS23S and FS23M was born and are still used today for higher security applications that magnetic locks cannot provide. To manufacture these newly approved locks, Geringer founded Security Door Controls in 1972. Today, Geringer, his two sons, his daughter and grandson oversee the daily operations of SDC.

By 1976 utilizing a similar concept, Geringer demonstrated for the California State Fire Marshal the prototype of a new lock for locking stair well doors on the stair side only. Again, he liked what he saw and soon after surpassing 800,000 cycles and other UL tests the HiTower® Electric Frame Actuator Controlled Mortise Lockset was born. For many years it was the only lock to gain approval for use in thousands of high rise stair towers. While Arthur, David and Richard continue to produce innovative new patents, all patents are the property of Security Door Controls.

In the following years Geringer and his sons developed several new products to meet the needs of the industry. As high rise building and airport security became a necessity around the world, SDC developed products to respond to that challenge. Today those products are installed in thousand of buildings dominating city skylines worldwide and are vital components in the overall systems at major airports, including JFK International, O’Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth. Chek Lap KOK in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia and in Saudi Arabia’s two larges airports at Riyadh and Jeddah as well as the Air Force Academy.

In 1991 Geringer received the U.S. Door and Hardware Institutes highest honor, the “Founders Award”, for his prolific innovation and contributions to the industry. In 2004, Geringer received DHI’s second highest honor, the “Distinguished Consultant” award for technical excellence and standards of performance as an Architectural Hardware Consultant. Today, in addition to industry recognized expertise, a lean manufacturing system and ShipQuick program back SDC product quality, performance and commitment to customer satisfaction.