About Us

Who is TownSteel?

TownSteel is built around Dennis Ma, visionary and master inventor of locks since 1987. He founded TownSteel in 2003 and in 2008 he introduced an original design of behavioral health hardware products that eventually became a category leader. Lydia Meng, our Chief Executive Officer, played a pivotal role in TownSteel’s growth with her expansive industry knowledge. Together, Dennis and Lydia helped broaden our company’s worldwide exposure and customer base.

The growth of our behavioral health products eventually led to our expansion into electric and mechanical door hardware. From here we began to design access control equipment that would operate the locks. 

TownSteel has continued to grow substantially as an original equipment manufacturing business (OEM). As a result, many of our products spread into the hospitality industry and a variety of other projects. 

Next, Dennis and Lydia decided to build a team with parallel industry experience to bring state-of-the-art door locks to every setting. Many experts within the entrance hardware sector joined forces to help make TownSteel’s products more accessible to a multitude of industries.  

After decades of manufacturing America National Standards Institute (ANSI) Grade 1 ligature-resistant hardware, we have developed a strong customer base anchored in trust. Today, we supply our state-of-the-art products directly to our consumers, including apartment buildings, business complexes, multi-use establishments, and residential developments.

What is Behind TownSteel’s success?

Just like the inventions behind the TownSteel name, our path to success has been forged through trial and error to find out what works best for our customers and our company. 

Innovation, tenacity, and experience have helped build our high-quality products that consistently meet and exceed industry testing standards. TownSteel understands the importance of providing superior service and staying committed to our customers.

After decades of leadership in mortise locks, cylindrical locks, and ligature-resistant locks, we have built a foundation of trust within the industry. Our customer reach now extends beyond the mental health industry into other sectors such as hospitals, senior care facilities, and student housing.

Today, TownSteel’s team is a convergence of some of the industry’s most experienced professionals. Our company is equipped to work with door hardware specifiers and security consultants on large-scale projects.

Backed by the highest ratings from the Builders Manufacturers Hardware Association in every category, TownSteel continues to supply some of the best door locks and interconnecting hardware in the industry.

History of TownSteel

At the helm of TownSteel is Dennis Ma, nicknamed “The King of Mortise Locks,” a designer of top-quality locks for over three decades. As a developer of close to a dozen patents, Dennis has always focused on making the best locks for tomorrow’s world.

In 1987 Dennis’s father came to him and asked him to help a friend in Taiwan that needed help designing a lock. With a Master’s of Science in Industrial Engineering behind him, Dennis set out to create his first lock.

Not long afterward, a representative from Saflok found Dennis’s lock under a desk and asked, “Who made this lock?” Soon after, Saflok hired Dennis as a top engineer of their locking systems. Eventually, Saflok asked Dennis to represent their company for all of the Asia Pacific regions. 

After finding his way around the industry, Dennis became a sourcing point for importing products and he found it challenging to meet the quality standards set in the North American Market, This motivated Dennis to begin designing and manufacturing locks to meet these specifications. 

From here, he forged the TownSteel company seal in 2003, and by 2008 Dennis introduced his original design manufacturing with a line of behavioral health door hardware products. In 2003, Lydia Meng joined TownSteel’s journey and helped expand our product line which helped TownSteel quickly branch out into the hospitality industry and a variety of other projects. Under Lydia’s leadership and Dennis’s skillset, TownSteel saw tremendous growth and potential in various industries.

The success of TownSteel’s behavioral health products continued to soar. After supplying behavioral health products to various customers, Dennis learned more about electronic locks. From here, his innovations evolved into electronic door hardware products and more sophisticated mechanical door hardware products. He began to design access control equipment which opened the market to door hardware specifiers and security consultants on large-scale projects.

As TownSteel expands, our products now reach industries such as apartment complexes, multi-housing condominiums, and residential housing. TodayDennis and Lydia continue to lead TownSteel into a global enterprise as he continues to pioneer state-of-the-art entrance security products. 

TownSteel Credentials & Certifications