Autowave is an example of a company that has explored an untapped market and is now thriving. With agreements with national distributors, a loyal customer base of independent factors and locksmiths, an expanding team and developing training curricula, now is a good time to sit down with Ravi Kotecha.
Q. Ravi, can you give us an overview of 2025 and how business has been for Autowave?
A. It’s been an exciting six months for us – this year has started really positively. We’ve brought on some major national distributors, alongside our long-standing partnerships. These relationships are really flourishing.
The product we’re offering is still relatively new to the aftermarket, so seeing it gain traction has been extremely encouraging. We’re also continuing to support our loyal customer base – particularly within the locksmith sector, which has been a strong market for us.
We’ve just added new team members across technical support, customer service and marketing – all of which has strengthened our offering.
Q. How have you managed to balance bringing on national distributors while, simultaneously, supporting your existing customer base?
A. It’s definitely a balancing act – but it’s a good problem to have. The aftermarket is diverse; some customers have long-standing supply chains, while others are more flexible. We’re involved in the development of many products, which allows us to align with each distributor’s specific customer base.
Of course, there will always be some crossover – that’s the nature of the market – but it’s big enough to support multiple routes. We’ve even helped introduce smaller or more sporadic customers to our distributor network, giving them the added convenience of local, often same-day supply through national coverage.
Q. And how do you ensure fairness for independent motor factors who might be competing with large national distributors?
A. That’s a conversation we’ve had openly with both existing and potential partners. We’re not interested in saturating the market; it’s about finding serious independents who want to add a consistent revenue stream to their business, add value to their brand and collaborate with us.
While we can’t control pricing across the board, we aim for fairness. It’s not about who spends the most; it’s about who aligns with our vision and can represent our products well.
Many independents are deeply trusted by local workshops or locksmiths and often offer a personal, flexible service. They also have the autonomy to be creative – whether that’s with joint marketing efforts or boots-on-the-ground sales support. Being a relatively small business ourselves, we can be agile and responsive.
Q. How can factors – whether a national distributor or independent – work with Autowave?
A. There are two main routes: either they offer a spare key service inbranch or they distribute our products to garages and locksmiths providing that service. It’s rare for a factor to do both – it’s like trying to both sell and fit brake pads. We’ve designed our model to suit both business types.
Q. And how should a motor factor decide which model fits them best?
A. It comes down to scale. If a factor has, for example, 250 branches, it’s tough to upskill every location in key programming. For them, distribution is a better fit – treating keys like a component part. But for smaller operations – single-branch or five-branch businesses with in-house expertise – offering a key service directly works well. It’s all about matching the model to the operation.
Q, Does Autowave’s current popularity and trajectory create added pressure on you and the team?
A. Yes, there’s definitely pressure, but we use it as motivation. There’s a strong reliance on our products in the aftermarket, and that drives us to keep delivering. We don’t like saying no. If there’s demand for a product we don’t currently offer, we do everything we can to develop it.
We maintain production quality across all sites, including our international facility in China, to ensure reliability and cost-effectiveness for our customers. If we say we’re working on something, we mean it.
Q. Let’s talk about training – what kind of in-field support do you offer?
A. We tailor our approach based on who we’re working with. For larger distributors, they’ve got the infrastructure — large sales teams and internal support — so we expect them to manage the frontline engagement. That’s the value they bring to the table.
However, when we’re working with independents, we take a much more hands-on approach. We don’t have a massive field sales team, but if support is needed, we’ll send someone out. We can offer bespoke, on-site training, co-branded marketing materials, and even help them develop a commercial strategy for growing their key programming services.
A recent example is Wilco; it operates multiple branches and offers key cutting and programming in several of them. We delivered custom training tailored to its specific equipment and business model. It wasn’t just a generic course; it was developed entirely around the company’s needs. That’s the kind of partnership we want to build – and are doing.
Q. Are you still finding you have to educate the market?
A. Absolutely! Education is one of our biggest challenges. There are a lot of myths, like “you have to go to the dealer” or “it’s too complex”. Sure, sometimes that’s true – try programming a 2023 Jaguar Land Rover key! But program a 2015 Ford Transit key? Five minutes. So, there’s nuance, and we’re here to help customers navigate that.
Q. Final thoughts – what’s next for Autowave in this evolving aftermarket?
A. We want to continue strengthening relationships – both with our national distributors and our independent partners. By ensuring product quality, fair pricing and tailored support, we aim to keep growing sustainably.
We’re also heavily focused on training and development. Whether it’s through online modules, in-person training or bespoke solutions, we believe education is key. And as always, we’ll keep listening to the market and evolving alongside it.
