Car Keys Express to unveil breakthrough technologies at the 2021 National Hardware Show

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Car Keys Express, the US-based global leader in discount, automotive key replacement for businesses and consumers, will unveil four major innovations at the 2021 National Hardware Show to be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center October 21-23, 2021. 

For the first time in 30 years, real automotive key replacement is coming back to retailers. Car Keys Express is disrupting the industry, developing tools and keys that are finally letting retailers enter the high-margin, modern car key replacement business. Car Keys Express will introduce the following technologies at NHS:

Simple Key^Ⓡ
Consumer-friendly kits include a universal key and a do-it-yourself EZ Installer to easily "pair" new keys. Retailers can replace 600 OEM keys with two dozen Simple Key products.

Universal EZ Installer^TM
Customers easily pair keys on their own using an app on their phone. The "do-it-yourself" installer is compatible with thousands of vehicle makes and models and allows retailers to offer high-value automotive keys without the need for expensive dealership service department programming equipment.

Retail Optical Key Scanner^TM (ROKS)
ROKS is a retail DIY ordering device that simplifies automotive key replacement. Retailers scan their customers' key and a new copy of the key is shipped to the store for pickup, or shipped directly to the customer. ROKS is a virtual car key store in a box—replace almost any key and create a new revenue stream with little-to-no investment in tools, inventory, or training. 

Keys NOW!^TM Automated Key Machines
For decades, retailers have struggled to offer modern car keys because of difficult-to-use manual key cutting machines. Car Keys Express has changed all that with Keys NOW!™, the world's first and only fully-automated house and car key duplication machines. Keys NOW! is as easy to use as a microwave oven. Open the door, insert the key, then stand back. A precisely duplicated key is produced instantly. Keys NOW! comes in three varieties, each designed for the desired level of customer engagement.

"We're disrupting the industry, developing tools and keys that simplify key replacement," said Mike Bliss, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Car Keys Express. "If a retailer wants 'do-it-yourself' or 'do-it-for-me', we have unique solutions for all levels of customer engagement. From Universal Car Keys that reduce product count, to EZ Installers that let consumers 'pair' keys to vehicles without special dealership computers, to the Keys NOW! car key vending machine, to the Retail Optical Key Scanner that lets drivers replace keys from a photo, modern key replacement is now easier than ever."

Whether you want inventory onsite or none at all, DIY ("do-it-yourself") or DIFM ("do-it-for-me"), Car Keys Express can customize a program that's perfect for your business model.

"When I was a kid, I remember seeing car keys on the counter at every hardware store," said Mark Lanwehr, Founder and CEO of Car Keys Express. "Over the past 30 years, that business has shifted to car dealers. There have been two main barriers to entry keeping retailers out of the car key business—complexity and computers. The breakthrough technologies we're introducing bring down both barriers. Years ago, witnessing hardware stores lose that business served as a motivator to start our retail division and earlier, a motivator for me to found Car Keys Express. Almost 20 years later, we're now putting keys back on the shelves of hardware stores and home improvement stores, allowing us to realize our company motto: replacing car keys is simple and affordable, again."

If you're attending the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas, come see us at booth #W1400. Visit CarKeysExpress.com/NationalHardwareShow for details and special show pricing.

About Car Keys Express
Car Keys Express is a global leader in discount, automotive key replacement for businesses and consumers. The company invented the world's first Universal Car Remote and Universal Car Keys and is the only company that manufactures a full line of aftermarket versions of modern car keys, like remote keys and smart keys. Car Keys Express offers a complete line of retail-friendly solutions to allow retailers to build a key replacement program or enhance an existing program. Car Care Express, a division of Car Keys Express, offers mobile vehicle reconditioning service for businesses and consumers. Founded in 2002, Car Keys Express is continually recognized for excellence in the industry, winning Inc. Magazine's, "Inc. 5000" in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021, AAPEX "Best New Product" Award in 2015 and 2019, Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year® in 2017, and EnterpriseCorp's FAST Innovation Award Winner in 2017, among others. To learn more, visit www.CarKeysExpress.com.

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About the National Hardware Show^®
The National Hardware Show celebrates a rich history spanning 76 years of serving the home improvement marketplace. From its early beginnings in New York during the post-World War 2 housing boom and eventual move to Chicago in the 1970s, to today's current location in Las Vegas, NHS is the most comprehensive event, education and networking platform serving the hardware and home improvement industry. As the industry spearhead, it keeps a focused eye on the cultural, environmental, and technological developments shaping the future of modern living. NHS unites and guides the industry at its live events and on its interactive channels by delivering unparalleled opportunities for fostering connections, deepening insights, and building innovative and profitable strategies for growth. For more information on the National Hardware Show, visit www.nationalhardwareshow.com.

SOURCE Car Keys Express