Locked in on Success: Southern Folger Honors its Past, Prepares for the Future

Photo: Southern Folger’s manufacturing operations are split between the “jail shop,” where steel sliding door devices and lock parts are fabricated, and the “lock shop” (pictured), where the devices are assembled.  | Photo Credit: Correctional News

By Charlie Lange

In an industry that’s traditionally slow to enact large-scale changes, correctional lock manufacturer Southern Folger Detention Equipment Company isn’t afraid to evolve on its own terms. Since its inception, Southern Folger has represented a hybrid of companies. Its name comes from two pioneering detention equipment contractors — Southern Steel, founded in 1897, and Folger Adam, founded in 1905. After a series of acquisitions, Southern Steel’s parent company acquired Folger Adam in 2004 to form the modern-day iteration of Southern Folger.

In 2017, Coastal Detention Holdings, led by CEO Kenneth Feldman, acquired Southern Folger, adding to a portfolio that included American Steel Products of Swainsboro, Ga., and Trussbilt of Huron, S.D., and produced security hollow metal doors, frames, windows, security wall and ceiling systems, and detention-grade furniture.

In 2023, when the opportunity arose to acquire the RR Brink Locking Systems line of detention locks and hardware, Southern Folger added another branch to its company tree, bringing all of RR Brink’s operations into Southern Folger’s San Antonio manufacturing facility. President Don Halloran says the move increased the company’s manufacturing output by almost 40% and bringing its employee count to 160.

Southern Folger continues to honor its roots, hanging Southern Steel, Folger Adam and RR Brink signs from the rafters, with the slogan “TEAMWORK.”

“In this industry, when things go wrong, finger-pointing will start,” said Halloran. “But if we’re a one-stop company that’s providing the cells, doors, frames, locks and everything else, I know I can pick up the phone and we’re going to figure out a solution, and that builds confidence and trust in our customers.”

Empowering Employees

Southern Folger’s manufacturing operations are split between the “jail shop,” where steel sliding door devices and lock parts are fabricated, and the “lock shop” where the devices are assembled. State-of-the-art equipment and busy workstations signify progress amid the increased business brought on by the RR Brink acquisition. To keep up with demand, the company constantly seeks to identify bottlenecks and refine procedures.

In the jail shop, Halloran credits Operations Manager Richard Fernandez and Material Handler Jonathan Menchaca for keeping production running efficiently. The two have turned what used to be tedious daily production meetings into collaborative touch-bases where operators specify what they need to meet performance marks.

Meanwhile, Lock Shop Manager Raquel Bueno implemented an efficient assembly line to train employees without pausing production. Now, within compressed periods of training, employees can produce shippable products for customers, as opposed to taking months to get up to speed.

In the past, Bueno says her best employee could produce 10 locks a day — working overtime. But in the new system, a lock is produced and boxed every 10 minutes, and quality-control staff inspects finished products in real time.

Halloran notes that good ideas can come from all different levels of experience. While Bueno has been with Southern Folger for 25 years, Menchaca has only been with the company for three — but knows enough to recommend and enact positive changes. “We’ve brought in new blood, new thinking, new ideas,” Halloran says. “That’s ultimately our succession plan: giving people the room to grow.”

Embracing Innovation

While firmly established in the industry, the company isn’t resting on its laurels. Instead, it’s listening to feedback, observing real-world problems and developing solutions, such as the OBSERO Smart Lock, which has been in development for the better part of the last decade and is getting ready to hit the market.

The OBSERO Smart Lock is powered via Power over Ethernet (PoE) and equipped with Bluetooth capabilities, allowing it to operate as a standalone antenna that can interface with facility-wide duress systems from each cell door. While traditional locks can be jammed by debris, the Smart Lock’s sensors can determine precise measurements of lock bolt engagement, and alert an operator if reduced engagement reaches a threshold that would prevent it from adequately performing. Temperature sensors can also detect a heat spike if a motor burns out. This ability to identify tampering or maintenance makes the Smart Lock an essential tool in ensuring smooth operations and, ultimately, life safety.

Director of Business Development Michael Chike led the product development and is excited to see it hit the market, noting that while the OBSERO Smart Lock represents a new iteration, it relies on the same secure technology that powers other successful Southern Folger systems, and each Smart Lock comes with a built-in network of support.

“It has the same durability we’ve always offered but we’ve added the smart IP module,” said Chike. “It also comes with a lock management software, which collects data, and we can gain remote access and perform troubleshooting without having to remove people from their cells.”

“It’s going to be a game-changer for future projects,” Halloran added.