Jeff Snope is Northwest Safe’s Master Safe Technician—and a lifelong member of the NW Safe family. He graduated top of his class from Universal Technical Institute (UTI), earning his ASE Master Certification. (An ASE Certification signifies that an automotive technician has demonstrated expertise in all areas of vehicle repair by passing a series of ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certification tests.) 

Jeff spent nearly a decade in the automotive industry. But as the market shifted and burnout set in, he brought his technical skills to NW Safe — this time as a safe technician. His mechanical mind and attention to detail made him the perfect fit. Jeff is a true safe specialist, unlike many in the field who come from a locksmith background. His work is part art, part science, and 100% trusted by the team and customers.

Learn more about Jeff, what life is like as a Master Safe Technician, what locks he recommends, and more.

3:47: You've known each other since David was born. What was one memory from those early days at NW safe that still makes you laugh?

5:00: What is your current favorite lock and why?

6:14: What would it include if two of you could build the perfect safe together?

10:30: What's your favorite residential safe for someone who wants to put it upstairs or on a ground wood subfloor home?

12:36: Jeff, what's a mistake you commonly see other locksmiths or techs make when servicing safes? And, how do you avoid it?

14:50: David, what brand feature are you most excited about right now?

16:17: Jeff, what's one thing you wish every customer understood before calling you about a lock issue?

20:45: David, how has growing up in the business shaped you and how you sell sales today?

23:50: Jeff, what's one tool or trick you can use during tech calls that most customers have never seen?

25:12: The black box. Let's talk a little bit more about that.

28:30: David, what's customers' biggest misconception during the buying process? And how do you clear that that's the biggest misconception?

30:30: What's a safety tip you have for people?

Jonathan Ingalls, our personal NW safe rep and the Western region representative for Liberty Safe Company, joined us on episode nine of Safe Space. We've been an official Liberty for nearly 40 years, and so we've gone through a few reps over the last few decades. It’s an honor to have our current representative on the podcast to get first-hand insights into Liberty and his experiences with the American manufacturer.

1:12: What do you think makes Liberty stand out from other safe brands in the market?

3:35: How does Liberty approach innovation with technology? Are there any exciting advancements coming soon from Liberty or in the safe industry?

6:36: SNEAK PEAK

8:02: Can you break down Liberty’s fire rating process and what customers often misunderstand about it?

11:28: In your opinion, how important is it to buy from one of the authorized dealers versus just online or a big box store?

14:52: What goes into Liberty's decisions when they come up with a new model or they're trying to develop a new model?

17:25: What have you seen are the most common warranty claims and how are they handled?

21:23: What else do you feel, besides warranty, the US built product has kept the Liberty at the top in the industry for so many decades?

23:16: What actually happened with the FBI incident?

31:27: How do you think Liberty is going to continue to build that trust back from consumers?

Customers often underestimate the space needed for a safe or forget to clear a path, making delivery difficult; securing pets and measuring diagonal clearance inside closets are key. The team shared stories of heavy and complex installs—including hidden rooms, pulley systems, and moving 8,000-pound safes—emphasizing that skill, teamwork, and the right tools matter more than brute strength, and while delivering ten smaller safes is usually easier, big jobs offer unique challenges and pride.

1:13: What's a common mistake customers make when preparing for a delivery?

2:54: Where is the best place to install a safe?

5:35: If your job were a video game, what would your power-ups be?

7:41: Where is the strangest place you've installed a safe?

9:45: What's your biggest pet peeve when you show up to a delivery?

12:05: What is the heaviest safe you've ever had to move, and how did you do it?

14:17: Would you rather move a 1,500-pound safe up three flights of stairs, or deliver ten small safes in one day?

16:52: How many deliveries do you do on average during a day?

Special guest Conner Elhard joins Kael Johnson and David Ballestrasse on Episode 7 to discuss what to know about today’s house fires, where’s the best place to install a safe if you’re worried about fire, and more!

Episode 6 Discussion Questions

1:56: How did you go from firefighting to owning a safe company?

4:47: Why Bozeman? What made you want to open up a northwest safe branch there?

8:50: Do you have a different perspective on what makes a good save? And what do people not understand about your typical house fire?

13:18: Have you ever responded to a fire where a gun safe played a role, either good or bad, that you experienced in real life?

15:41: Can you go on to what the role is of the fire department when they go on site?

17:44: Where in my house should I put my safe to give it the best chance of survival?

21:11: What Would You Say Would Be Minimum Fire Rating You’d Want Customers to Consider to Have a Fighting Chance in a House Fire?

25:18: Compare and Contrast Being a Firefighter and Selling Safes

28:16: What’s Something Interesting, Unique or Sentimental You Store Inside Your Safe?

34:09: What’s something Funny, Unique, Interesting or Just Crazy You Have Experienced Delivering Safes in Montana?

38:18: If Your Bozeman Store Had a Theme Song, What Would It Be? (Question Compliments of Cristian)

Are commercial safes just for businesses (nope), do you really need to bolt down a 1,000 pound gun safe, which big-box store sells the best gun safe and more!

Episode 5 Discussion Questions

01:21: Are fire ratings just a marketing scam?

13:59: If you had to choose a big box store to buy a gun safe from, who would you choose?

19:52: Should companies stop calling anything under 12 gauge steel a gun safe?

22:25: Is there any brand of safe you wish we carried?

25:26: Are commercial safes just for businesses?

30:28: Is fireproof just a branding thing?

32:00: How do you feel about government mandated storage laws?

33:42: Myth. You don't need to bolt down a safe if it weighs over 1,000 pounds.