The Lock Doctor Corporation was formed on Oct 1, 1993 by the merging of two independent locksmith companies. The one company, Valle Vista Hardware, was started by Bob Turner in the spring of 1978. After a few years of business, the hardware store started a mobile locksmith service. The retail and mobile service began to grow. The other company, The Lock Doctor, was started by Rick Carlson in January of 1990. Rick established his business in a small room next to a local barber shop.