Our Team
Peter Bailey
President
Dan Cross
Senior Sales Associate
Andy Dennison, CMST, CML
Director of GSA Security Training
Andy Dennison has been a locksmith since 1990 and an instructor since 1999. His experience covers a wide variety of locksmithing services with the majority of his time spent in the area of safes, vaults, and GSA containers. Before becoming a locksmith, he served four years in the U.S. Navy and another four years in the U.S. Naval Reserve. After working for 15 years at a major locksmith company in the Washington, DC area, he moved to Kentucky in 2006 to work for MBA as a full-time instructor.
Mr. Dennison has been a certified instructor for Mas-Hamilton/Kaba-Mas since 1999. He is also a factory authorized instructor for Sargent & Greenleaf. He is a Certified Master Locksmith through the ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc., a Certified Master SafeTech through the Safe and Vault Technicians Association (SAVTA), and is certified by the US General Services Administration (GSA) to conduct GSA certification courses. In April 2019 he was inducted into the SAVTA Hall of Fame and was named SAVTA Instructor of the Year for 2020.
Mr. Dennison is recognized as an authority on both mechanical and electro-mechanical locking devices with over 30 years of experience installing, servicing, and troubleshooting numerous common and obscure mechanical and electro-mechanical locking systems. He is also a recognized authority on GSA approved security containers and vault doors and is the author of the bestselling reference book, "GSA Container Identification".
Chuck Batcke, CML, CPS, SMC
Technical Instructor
Jimmy Hall
Marketing Manager
Brandi Hill
Sales Support Specialist
Billy Salyer
Instructor
Before entering the lock industry, Billy dedicated 6 years to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, followed by a 20-year tenure as an officer with the Lexington, Kentucky Police Department. Upon retiring from the Police Department, Billy transitioned to the MBA USA team in 2022. He now serves as an assistant instructor for various courses, including GSA certifications, Professional Locksmithing, Safe Deposit Locks, Mechanical Safe Locks, Professional Safe Drilling, and Safe Lock Manipulation.
Phil Sutherland
Business Development Manager
Kevin Wasson
Purchasing Manager
Kevin has been part of the lock industry since 1993, and in that time has filled a variety of roles including customer service, product assembly, technical support, product development, and purchasing. He manages purchasing for MBA USA. Kevin is also a Certified Kaba Mas X-10 Instructor.
Kevin is a native of Flemingsburg KY, and a graduate of Berea College in Berea KY, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Industrial Technology Management. Kevin enjoys spending time with his family, and cheering on the University of Kentucky Wildcats!
Sam Wasson
Instructor
Sam’s fascination with the lock industry began at the age of 14, when he took a part-time job quality checking and packaging safe deposit locks. Since joining MBA USA in 2019, Sam has performed tasks within the company wherever needed. He has filled a number of vital roles, including shipping & receiving, product assembly, customer service, inside sales, technical support, product development, and purchasing. He currently serves as an instructor at MBA USA. Sam is a certified Kaba Mas X-10 instructor, and assists with all facets of GSA security training.
Jeremy Willoughby
Inside Sales
A native of Nicholasville, Kentucky, Jeremy Willoughby has spent many years in the lock and security industry, holding experience primarily in material control. Jeremy assists the MBA team not only as the primary controller of day-to-day warehouse and shipping operations, but also as an integral contributor in sales, product development and customer service.
Mark Bates, CML, CMST
Founder
Mark Bates worked in the lock industry for more than thirty years, starting as a locksmith and safe technician. In 1993 he founded MBA USA, Inc. which has grown to be a leading provider of security education and equipment.
Mr. Bates is a longtime member of the Associated Locksmiths of America (ALOA), the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS), and the Safe and Vault Technicians Association (SAVTA). In 2000 he was inducted into the SAVTA Hall of Fame. Mark is the author of the reference book "Modern Safe Locks", and has contributed articles to leading industry journals.
In addition to his duties as instructor at MBA, Mark has conducted classes for ALOA, SAVTA, and for numerous regional associations. These classes have taken Mr. Bates throughout the U.S. and Canada, to England, Germany, Spain, Denmark, Austria, Italy, and the Middle East. From these travels, Mark has developed a deep understanding of locks and security from a global vantage point. Mark is also an ACE Certified instructor through the ALOA Security Professionals Association, Inc.
Paula Bates
Founder
Paula has been with MBA since 1995. Her background is in design as she completed her studies in Landscape Architecture in 1984 while living in California. Her contribution to MBA has covered a diverse listing of departments, working in areas that include, but are not limited to the layout and planning of advertisements, newsletters and catalogs, bookkeeping and attending trade shows with co-workers.