Bert Sampson arrived in the Puget Sound and found work as the key cutter for Sears in Tacoma. After working there for several years, he started his own company in 1958 called the Renton Key Shop. He started out on the corner of Rainier Avenue and Grady Way in Renton, Washington. His primary business was simply cutting keys. As business continued to grow for Bert, he knew he wanted to be more than just a key shop. He was always fascinated by learning new things and so he continually worked on adding to his technician’s knowledge.

Over time, he had added a number of additional skills and services including lock sales, installation, and service because of his passion for the security and safety of the clientele. He was great at being able to listen to the needs of the customers and adapt services to meet these needs. This was one of the reasons he was so well respected and known. Because of this focus on the customer and finding new ways to help keep his “customers stay safe”, Rob Watson decided to purchase the business from Bert.

Rob was looking for just this type of organization because he too was focused heavily on the customer and had a passion for security. Rob became the owner in 1997, adding electronic security to the mix. Renton Key Shop changed its name in 2000 to Watson Security to better represent the additional electronic security products and services and to continue the original commitment to serve our customers.