Milwaukee is city filled with creatives, business owners, and despite the violence there’s lots of good people doing great things with great intentions. Chris Keys, also known as Mr. Keys is a great example of a local millennial, on his way.
Chris is a man with much ambition. His high energy and ability to adapt to any situation thrown his way indeed makes him special in his own way. As a father striving for better, he has a unique way of making a way out of no way. No matter the obstacle, Chris sees the positive opportunities that come with it.
Chris’ career of cutting keys started at a Ace Hardware store. There he learned the systems and the machines. And as he learned them, he began to develop a passion for servicing clients in this manner. Whether you came down for a key cut or you needed assistance with hardware, Chris took care of his customers with a smile.
Mr. Keys worked for Ace Hardware a few years before they shut down. But he never allowed the closing to have a negative impact on his thinking. Instead of feeling down in the dumps, like many people would when they found out they were losing their job, Chris saw the closing as an opportunity. As the equipment went on sale, Keys decided to purchase.
He invested in the key cutter and many other products that he knew others needed more locally. He takes pride in being the only black owned hardware store in the city, offering key cuts for just one dollar.
Chris Keys was originally located inside the Milwaukee Mall but once the mall was bought, Keys was forced to find a new place. This was a struggle at first but quitting was never an option for Keys. After searching, he found a storefront that was right for him, located at 3819 w Villard Ave. home of the dollar key.
Mr. Keys is a great example of consistency. No matter what life throws his way, he is persistent on finding the positive and maximizing on any opportunity thrown his way. Thank you for being such a positive force in our community Mr. Keys.
