Peter Field is the former Director of Research at Medeco Security Locks in Salem VA USA. Peter started locksmithing in 1960 at the age of 12 while living in a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. He paid his way through college working part time for a large locksmith in Champaign Illinois. The lock shop covered a 50-mile radius serving Industrial, Commercial and Residential customers with solutions for doors, vehicles, safes, electronic access systems and alarms.
In 1977 Medeco asked him to design and develop a training program for locksmiths to explain how to service a Medeco cylinder and to illustrate the differences between a high security lock and a common pin tumbler cylinder. Peter joined Medeco as a Training Instructor in 1978. Over the years his titles have changed to Director of Training, Technical Support Manager, Key Records Manager, Director of Training and Research, and Director of Research. Peter has over thirty US Patents pertaining to locks that have issued or are pending. He retired from Medeco in 2020 and works as a consultant in the lock industry.
Peter is a life member of ALOA, a life member of The Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners and an honorary member of several national European locksmith associations. He has chaired the committee of the Builders Hardware Manufacturers Association that developed a US national standard for High Security Cylinders.