Bob Labbe age 24 was employed as a toolmaker in Hartford Connecticut. He had a vision of a high speed screw machine that could produce lock tumbler pins 20 times faster than any machine he knew of.  When discussing this with his peers, they said it couldn’t be done. The speeds required for such a production rate would not allow it.  Well, that’s exactly the type of motivation that drives Bob. Just tell him it can’t be done and he’ll think of twenty different ways to do it. Within one year his first lock tumbler pin machine was producing parts that met his original objective and LAB was born. He refined his design as he built eleven more machines. Some of his early customers were Eagle Lock and Lori Lock. ( Photograph shows an early photo of Robert Labbe operating his pin machines which he designed and built himself.)

Bob Labbe revolutionized Lock Pin Kit designs by creating single level universal kits that were virtually leakproof and non existent. Bob would attend trade shows and literally throw his kits on the floor to demonstrate his new leak-proof designs and display his one level pinning system.

After several moves to accommodate the growing business Bob purchased a building in Plymouth, Connecticut.

In 1994 LAB moved into our World Headquarters building located 700 Emmett Street in Bristol Connecticut.