The company joins a small group of repeat winners recognized eight or more times for exceptional growth.
Louisville, KY, September 15, 2026—Car Keys Express, the US-based global leader in automotive key replacement, has won the Inc. 5000 Award for the eighth time in its 24-year history. The company ranks No. 3,038 on this year’s list of America's fastest-growing private companies.
Car Keys Express first won the Inc. 5000 Award in 2016 and went on to win in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025, and now 2026. The company’s revenue more than doubled from 2022 through 2025. Repeated wins become increasingly difficult as companies grow because each new measurement period begins from a larger revenue base. Only about 1% of Inc. 5000 winners reach the milestone eight times.
Since its founding in 2002, Car Keys Express has grown into a global operation serving businesses, retailers, and consumers. Unlike many high-growth companies, Car Keys Express achieved its growth organically rather than through acquisitions. The company built momentum by winning new business, deepening customer relationships, launching new products, and expanding how automotive businesses, retailers, and consumers replace car keys.
Recent growth also reflects the company’s rapid expansion into consumer markets and its strategic decision to vertically integrate. By bringing together product development, manufacturing, software, mobile service, retail programs, and in-house support, Car Keys Express can pursue opportunities beyond the traditional dealer-only model and bring key replacement closer to where its customers shop, work, and manage vehicles. This approach advances the company’s mission to make key replacement simple and affordable again.
The Inc. 5000 ranks independent, privately held, for-profit U.S. companies by percentage revenue growth over a three-year period. For the 2026 ranking, Inc. measured growth from 2022 to 2025 and required every honoree to pass an editorial review. Over its history, the Inc. 5000 has recognized companies including Patagonia, Under Armour, LinkedIn, Zillow, and Yelp.
"Winning our eighth Inc. 5000 Award validates the long-term strategy of creating more of the key replacement experience ourselves," said Mark Lanwehr, Founder and CEO of Car Keys Express. "We invest in research, intellectual property, manufacturing, software, and service because those capabilities reinforce one another. Together, they help us move faster, control quality, and deliver better value across every channel we serve. When you combine our investment in attracting and retaining the best team in the industry, the result is more than a competitive advantage, it’s the engine behind our growth and the foundation for what we build next.”
The full Inc. 5000 list, along with detailed company profiles and insights, is available at inc.com/inc5000.
About Car Keys Express
Car Keys Express is the global leader in automotive key replacement for businesses, retailers, and consumers. The company invented the world's first Universal Car Remote, Universal Car Keys, and Universal Smart Key, and is the only American company that manufactures a full line of aftermarket versions of modern car 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” award, recognizing America’s fastest-growing companies in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025, and 2026, Inc.’s “Best in Business” Award in 2024, AAPEX "Best New Product" Award in 2015, 2019 and 2023, Ernst & 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.
Media Contact:
