History of Union Chubb Locks

The history of Union Locks dates back to 1840 when the company was first started as a family business in Willenhall, which is popularly known as the center of Britain’s lock making industry for over 400 years. When it comes to high-end quality, trust, and performance, the Union is the first brand that is highly recommended by professionals. The wide range of high-quality architectural products offered by Union is used in over 80 countries worldwide.

The Union brand of locks comes under ASSA ABLOY, the Swedish security solution which is a leading name indoor security solutions. When it comes to lock brands, Union is a hallmark for quality and performance. The ‘G’ mark on Union products is a sign that guarantees the validity of the product for 5- 25 years.

History of Chubb Locks

Union Chubb Locks is a brand which is synonymous with high-security lock systems for both residential and commercial purposes. Chubb Locks was started by Charles Chubb in Winchester, England, which was later shifted to Portsmouth, England in the year 1804. Originally started as a ship’s ironmonger, Chubb was converted into a lock company in the year in 1818 in Wolverhampton.

As the company continued to grow in Wolverhampton, Charles brother Jermiah Chubb too joined the company and went ahead to sell the patent detector lock designed by Jermiah. The detector lock made by the Chubb Company not just prevented picking, but also showed signs whether or not the lock had been picked.

The history of Chubb Locks is full of accolades. As in the year 1823, Chubb Locks was offered an exclusive license by George IV, along with becoming the only supplier for General Post Office and the Queen’s prison service. It was in the year 1835 that the company got a patent for a burglar resistant safe, which was two years later followed by the opening of a safe factory in London. And when it came to designing a special display case for the Kohinoor during the Great Exhibition, it was none other than the Chubb Company that was chosen for the task.

The Merger of Union and Chubb Locks

In the year 2006, Chubb Locks was merged in to the Mul-T-Lock group within Assa Abloy. The Chubb brand was merged with the likes of Yale and Union Locks under Assa Abloy, as the oldest and most trusted Chubb brand could no longer be used. While the Chubb name is no longer used, Assa Abloy promises to offer the same quality, reliability, and performance after the merger through the products offered by lock brands like Union and Yale.

For instance, the Union C-Series locks available today are much like the original C-Series or Chubb locks that people have known for years and trusted blindly. The Union C-Series locks offer the same levels of security and high-end quality that customers always expected from Chubb locks. Hence, with the trust and legacy of Chubb locks at heart, the Union C-Series range is committed to providing the best in class quality and security for users.

Union C-Series also offers a variety of products including, detainer locks with roller bolt latches, cylinder lock cases and mortice locks for high-level protection and safety. Even the Union C-Series detainer locks function like the old trusted Chubb locks that not just offered great resistance to picking, but also offer a greater number of key combinations in comparison to lever locks. So, for over 200, the Chubb brand that had the trust of its customers is now merged with Union, which also promises the same trust and quality for the new users.

A Brief Timeline of Chubb Locks

• Charles Chubb starts Chubb as a ship’s ironmonger in 1804.
• Chubb stepped into the locksmith business in 1818.
• Chubb awarded a special license by George IV in 1823.
• Chubb receives a patent for a burglar resisting safe in 1835.
• Chubb opens a safe factory in London in 1837.
• Union is formed from a family business in Willenhall in 1840.
• Chubb designs a special display case for the Kohinoor in 1851.
• Chubb is purchased by Racal in 1984, followed by Williams plc. in 1997 and Assa Abloy in 2000.
• Chubb is merged into the Mul-T-Lock group under Assa Abloy in 2006.