Dealership Key & Programming Services

Dedicated dealership programs are rare among automotive locksmiths in this region — most either don't take commercial work at all, or route it to a separate company. ATD Automotive has been doing key origination and programming for dealerships since 2012 — it's not a side offering, it's a core part of the business, and it's run by the same two people, Patrick Murphy and Dan Perdue, who answer the phone for a homeowner locked out of their car.

The problem this solves

Trade-ins and auction purchases show up missing keys constantly — one key, a worn-out key, or none at all. Every day a unit sits on the lot without a working spare is a day it can't move to the front line, can't go out for a test drive without a service department escort, or can't be transported without extra handling. Sending it to the dealership's own service department ties up a bay and a technician on a job that isn't warranty or customer-pay work. Sending it to the dealer's OEM parts department for a factory key means a wait — sometimes days — for a part that has to be cut and programmed once it arrives anyway.

We solve that by coming to the lot directly. A technician with mobile key-cutting and programming equipment can originate a key from the vehicle itself — reading the lock or using the VIN to cut a key blank and program a transponder or fob to match the vehicle's immobilizer system — without towing the car anywhere and without waiting on a parts order.

What we do for dealers

Why dealerships work with ATD

Mobile — we come to the lot. No transporting units off-site, no bay tied up, no vehicle unavailable for a test drive while it's off-property.

Volume pricing. Dealership work is set up as an account with rates based on your actual volume, not billed at retail, one car at a time. Call to talk through what that looks like for your lot.

Both states covered. Based in Genoa City on the WI/IL line, we regularly work lots across Southeast Wisconsin and Northern Illinois — useful for dealer groups with rooftops in both states.

A family business you deal with directly. Patrick and Dan founded ATD Automotive in 2012 and still do the work themselves. When you call about setting up a dealer account, you're talking to an owner, not a dispatcher reading from a script.

How it works

Call or email with a rough idea of your monthly volume — how many trade-ins or auction units typically arrive missing keys, and whether you'd want a standing weekly visit or an as-needed call when a unit needs a key. We'll set up an account and a rate structure that fits how your lot actually operates. From there, it's usually a phone call or a text with a VIN and a location on the lot, and we get it scheduled.

Most dealer relationships settle into one of two patterns. Some lots prefer a standing visit — say, once a week — where we work through whatever units have accumulated missing keys since the last stop. Others prefer an as-needed call, useful for lower-volume lots or dealer groups that want key work handled the same day a unit arrives without waiting on a scheduled visit. Either way, there's no minimum commitment required to get started — we'll tell you honestly which pattern fits your volume better once we know roughly how many units you're moving.

Makes we cover

Our equipment regularly covers GM (Chevrolet, GMC, Buick, Cadillac), Ford/Lincoln, Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, and Kia/Hyundai, with additional makes handled on request. If a specific unit on your lot is outside our regular coverage, we'll say so up front rather than take the job and guess — and in many cases we can still help with the module or ECU side of the work even when a factory-specific key procedure is involved. Give us a call with the make and model and we'll tell you exactly what's possible before you schedule a visit.

Why this matters for your front line

A used-car lot's inventory turn depends on units being sale-ready — clean, priced, and with a working key in hand for test drives and delivery. A trade-in or auction purchase that's missing a key is effectively parked until that gets resolved, either by a technician's time in your own service bay or a wait on a factory-ordered part. Handling that key work off your service department's plate, on your schedule, keeps units moving toward the front line instead of sitting in a queue behind warranty and customer-pay work that will always take priority in a dealership service bay.

Get in touch

Not a dealership? See our consumer services or full price list.