Sinox: Global Lock King

The exterior of the company resembles a tin shack, but as soon as you step inside, it transforms into a colorful and fashionable office. Ching Tung, the world's largest manufacturer of combination locks, boasts a building full of contrasts.

Even the founder's background is full of contrasts. Dr. C.K.Lin , the current general manager of Ching Tung, was a top student with a PhD from the Industrial Technology Research Institute at Brooklyn College in the United States. He then worked at NASA before resigning from a high-paying job in 1978 to return to Taiwan to start his own business, at the age of 43.

Not only that, Dr. C.K.Lin is also the 11th generation descendant of the Lin family in Wufeng, central Taiwan, while his wife, Tsai Kuei-Min, is the jewel in the crown of Cathay Financial Holdings founder Tsai Wan-Chun. With such a prestigious background, choosing to leave the rocket industry for a small lock business, and sticking to selling locks for 30 years, not only adds a dramatic element to Ching Tung's success but also represents the spirit of excellence of Taiwanese enterprises.

Starting from a small company of three people and going through tough times, Ching Tung has now become a world-renowned manufacturer of combination locks. Every year, foreign customers flock in, willing to pay high prices for the products of the "Lock King."

Currently, Ching Tung has more than 180 employees across the Taiwan Strait, producing approximately 20 million combination locks annually. Among the combination locks used worldwide, one in every ten is manufactured by Ching Tung.

The range of locks produced is extensive, with over a thousand different types suitable for luggage, cabinets, bicycles, electronic products, sports equipment, and even zipper locks, iPod locks, and gun locks, some of which even have additional features such as compasses and can openers.

The "Lock King" brand, under the Sinox label, is well-loved and widely used around the world, with over 1,000 customers globally, including world-renowned brands such as Samsonite, Delsey, Kryptonite, and Master. "Probably only LV (Louis Vuitton) hasn't come knocking yet," a Ching Tung employee joked.

Regardless of whether others consider locks to be a sunset industry or a traditional industry, Lin Chung-Kuan's principle is that if you're going to do something, you should do it the best you can, with innovation and research and development always being core principles.

The "masterpiece" CL-2000 series, developed in 1979, is a copper plate combination lock designed specifically for 007 suitcases. It was Ching Tung's first product to be patented in Taiwan and the United States and was mass-exported.

Continuous Innovation: Locking Everything Down

While competitors were struggling in the crowded and cutthroat market of imitation and cost-cutting, Sinox has always been cruising in the blue ocean. "My secret is new products and new customers, diversifying products and markets," said Dr. C.K.Lin.

For example, in making cabinet locks, Dr. C.K.Lin studied the needs of various industries, including office file cabinets, tool cabinets, storage cabinets, drawer cabinets, those used by individuals, managers, and the general public, or even those used for private hot springs. For each different scenario, locks that could be adapted were developed. Similarly, for computer locks, Dr. C.K.Lin studied all the holes and places that could be locked around laptops.

Locks for sports equipment include bike locks, hook locks, and even sled locks. This automatic retractable steel cable lock, introduced in 1990, remains unparalleled worldwide. "For every new combination lock, we are the pioneers,"Dr. C.K.Lin demands that all of Ching Tung's products be self-developed. While research and development costs are high, it is this approach that has kept Sinox in a leading position.

With combination locks as the core, new products can be continuously extended. Dr. C.K.Lin is currently contemplating how to add a lock to the hottest iPad on the market. Over 100 new products are born every year, enabling Sinox to maintain its position of invincibility, with annual revenue growing by 15%.

The renowned economist Keynes once said, "When Keynes saw that the pot was boiling, he happily shouted like a child. Marshall also saw that the pot was boiling, but quietly sat down and invented the steam engine."

Reviewing the success of small and medium-sized enterprises in Taiwan, it is clear that they are adept at "finding the extraordinary from the ordinary," striving to research better and newer applications than others.

Every time Dr. C.K.Lin travels abroad, he collects combination locks from everywhere and studies them with his team. Once, he even tore his suitcase open.

Moreover, turning crises into opportunities and then transforming them into competitive advantages for Sinox is also Lin Dr. C.K.Lin's unique thinking. The best example is the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. With the travel industry at a standstill, Sinox, whose largest export market was the United States, was also severely affected.

However, Lin Dr. C.K.Lin's passion for research and development remained undiminished. He successfully developed the "TSA Airport Lock" with a double lock heart.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, US customs banned the locking of suitcases to meet anti-terrorism needs, leading to a surge in luggage theft. In response, Sinox developed a new product that combines a key lock and a combination lock. Travelers can lock their luggage with a combination lock, but US customs has a key to the key lock, allowing them to quickly open and inspect the lock before relocking it. Moreover, if the lock hook has been opened by customs officials, the red plastic ring on the lock hook will rise, informing travelers that their luggage has been inspected.

This new lock passed the certification of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and was well-received in the market. "So we quickly seized the opportunity from the economic downturn," Dr. C.K.Lin pointed out.

The design of airport locks has its barriers to entry, which can eliminate manufacturers from the mainland that only produce low-priced locks. The crisis at the time turned into an unexpected turning point.

Another moment of turning crisis into opportunity occurred during the 2008 financial crisis. While industries across the board were cutting budgets, Dr. C.K.Lin went against the tide and invested millions in developing a series of new bike locks.

So when the economy began to recover slightly in 2009, only Sinox was able to launch new products, naturally attracting customers.

Pioneering new paths and delving deep into every future direction. Dr. C.K.Lin smiled and said, "There are only sunset operations, not sunset industries."

資料來源:邱莉燕（2011，5月30日)。競泰 全球號碼鎖鎖王。遠見雜誌，2011/6月號