End of an era for Chubb
For almost 200 years Chubb has been the name behind products customers know and trust, but in August 2010 that name will have to change.
They will continue to offer exactly the same products customers know and trust, but they will no longer be able to offer them under the Chubb name. Instead they will continue to be available under the Yale and Union brands which have a history and strong reputation within the secondary security and locking markets.
Chubb has been owned by the giant American brand Assa Abloy for some time now but the chubb name license is running out, they also own old British brands like Union and Ingersoll. And American brands Yale and Multilock.
So they plan to market the old Chubb name by simply calling it Chubb at Heart. It will still be manufactored here in the UK.
Why is Chubb Locks changing?
Since 2000 Assa Abloy has manufactured and sold Chubb locks under two licences from UTC (they own the locks brand name). The first which covers the majority of locks and markets, was a 10 year agreement which ends 2010. Assa Abloy would have liked to renew the license but UTC took the strategic decision not to extend the agreement, so we have no option but to re-brand these great products.
The second licence covers a range of detention and specialist locks sold under the Chubb brand. This lasts untill 2100 and these products will continue to be branded as Chubb Locks with no change.
For Chubb Lock customers nothing will change except the name. You will still be able to buy the Chubb Lock products you know and trust from your usual stockist. The product will be completely unchanged-other than the logo that appears on the box and the product, these wil now be Union or Yale. In fact many stockists will continue to offer Chubb Locks branded products for some time while their exisiting stocks last.
Will anyone else produce Chubb Security Locks?
Under the licence terms nobody else will be able to manufacture or distrubute locks under the Chubb name for the remainder of the century. As Assa Abloy owns a number of the key patenets and trademarks, it means no competitior can copy the locks brand products legally. The only place people will be able to find Chubb products after 2010 is through Union and Yale brands. Remember they will be the same products, with the same codes, made in the same way but branded and packaged differently with the Union and Yale logo. But they will still be Chubb at Heart.
