Since 1911, the same Sioux Falls family has been keeping this town's doors, and its trust, in good hands.
In 1911, Fred Burkey opened a small downtown Sioux Falls shop called Power City Repair.
Back then, “repair” meant whatever rolled through the door. Fred fixed bicycles and boilers, worked as a gunsmith, and had a knack that's gotten rarer ever since. He could take one thing and figure out how to turn it into another. If it was broken, Fred could make it work again.
Over the years, one trade rose above the rest: locks and keys. It suited the work perfectly. Equal parts patience, precision, and problem-solving. The shop leaned in, and locksmithing became the family business it's known for to this day.
“A small family business needs to be treated as a member of the family.”Chic Pyper · Third-generation owner, granddaughter of Fred Burkey
Fred Burkey sets up shop in downtown Sioux Falls, fixing bicycles, boilers, and firearms, anything that needed a steady hand and a clever mind.
Of all the trades under one roof, locksmithing fit best. The shop builds a reputation for opening, repairing, and fitting locks the right way, and “Fred the Fixer” becomes a household name.
Fred's children take up the tools, passing down the trade and the values that came with it: honest work, fair prices, and treating neighbors like neighbors.
David Pyper comes aboard and learns the craft from the inside out, becoming part of the family that keeps the shop's doors, and the city's, open.
Now led by Chic Pyper, Fred's granddaughter, Fred the Fixer is still family-owned and still right here in Sioux Falls. The locks have gone from skeleton keys to smart deadbolts. The promise hasn't changed a bit.
Tools come and go. The way we treat people is the part we never updated, because it never needed it.
A real local answers the phone, remembers your name, and treats your door like it's their own.
If you don't need it, we'll say so. Honest work and fair prices have kept us here for generations.
From antique safes to transponder keys, there's not much we haven't seen, or figured out how to fix.
Stop by the shop on Lincoln Ave, or give us a call. We'd love to help.
Call the shop605-334-5411