Elio Álvarez, a Cuban originally from Matanzas and just over 80 years old, turned a trade that had to be practiced clandestinely in Cuba into a decades-long business career in Miami, where his name became synonymous with the locksmith industry and the training of other professionals in the field.
Her story was presented by journalist Marylis Llanos in the segment "Tell Marylis" on Telemundo 51, who described him as "the master of the key" and highlighted the familial nature of a business built over decades.
Álvarez recalled that in Cuba he could not freely practice his work as a locksmith and had to do it in hiding "in a barbecue." His life changed when he left the island for Spain in 1970.
"Because in Cuba I couldn't, I had to do it hidden in a barbecue. But in Spain, when I arrived, it felt like there was another freedom, so I quickly started my business," he recounted.
Nine years later, he arrived in Miami and opened his own company, Elio's Locksmith. According to the report, at that time it was one of only 10 locksmith companies in existence in Miami.
Decades later, the landscape is very different. Llanos pointed out that there are currently about 3,000 registered companies in Miami, and that Álvarez remains one of the few locksmiths who still runs a physical shop, in a sector where a large portion of the business is conducted on a mobile basis.
For Álvarez, quality has been one of the central elements of his business. "There are many kinds of ideas, right? [...] almost everyone is looking for the best, the highest quality," he remarked during the interview.
Its impact, however, is not limited to the company he founded. The report highlights that he has trained numerous locksmiths who learned the trade by his side, turning his establishment into a kind of school for several generations of workers.
«The locksmith is, well, a great architect in that field,» Álvarez expressed while discussing the specialization required in his profession.
"A good teacher is never forgotten," Llanos summarized as he bid him farewell.
Her story is part of a long tradition of Cubans who have turned trades, recipes, and experiences gained both on and off the island into their own businesses in South Florida.
One of the recent examples is Yezmin León, who transformed a family recipe for elbow pasta into a growing business in Miami.
What he prepared for his family over the years has turned into a brand that now exceeds 250 sales points in South Florida.
It also highlights the story of Yordanys Amaro, a Cuban who went from driving Uber to starting his own food truck business in Miami and who currently uses part of his venture to provide food to those in need.
Another Cuban family managed to establish their own company in Miami after emigrating from Cuba with a baby and starting practically from scratch.
Leonardo Argumedo Reloba and Roxana Viltres García started a business focused on the design and manufacture of custom kitchens and bathrooms.
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