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Tuned into the industry
» » NOTTINGHAM-BORN RAVI KOTECHA
started his career installing car radios and
working with auto electrics. After a seven-
year spell in London working as a self-
proclaimed ‘man in a van’, he’s returned
to the East Midlands and set up shop as
an auto-locksmith equipment distributor,
ECU-specialist, and key cutter/
programmer across two sites in Long
Eaton, plus has a car accessory shop and
used-car dealership in nearby Sandiacre.
That’s to name a few of the services
currently on offer at Autowave…
“My family has been in the motor trade
since forever,” explains Ravi, “so it was only
natural that I followed that path. I began
by installing car radios in the late 1990s;
working around Nottingham and London.
I then branched out, and got my own van;
working self-employed throughout the
early 2000s. Back then, equipment
was a lot harder to get hold of, and
very expensive. Plus, despite
a family background in the
general automotive industry,
the skills I built up when it came
to car radios was totally self-
taught. I learnt as I went along
and gradually built up a name for
myself ‘down south’. Then, in 2010, I
decided to move back to Nottingham and
take up business residence in a permanent
place. After renting a small workshop for a
short spell, we bought the current Autowave
HQ at Clifton Avenue, Long Eaton, and
we’ve been there ever since.”
During his years as a car radio fitter
and decoder, Ravi noticed the technical
similarities with car and van keys and
remotes. He scoured scrapyards and
virtual auctions, collecting used car radios
and practiced programming EPROM
chips; honing his craft. As well as working
in car electrics, this venture into car
electronics was a stepping stone to the
next stage of his career; becoming an
after-market locksmith product supplier.
“It might seem strange for some that
a car radio fitter became a decent-sized
distributor in just a matter of a few
years, but for me it was a very natural
progression,” continues Ravi. “I was seeing
auto-locksmiths over-paying for equipment
just to get it the next day, or worse getting a
better deal – price wise
– from China, but then
either not getting it in time to
do a job or not getting what they expected,
by the time it arrived, and thought I could
do a better job myself.
“At first, I’d buy in bulk – say 50 items
– and sell some of those to another
distributor, and keep the rest in my own
shop for mobile locksmiths, for example
to pick up when they needed, or send out
to them. A typical item that would be £10
direct from China, would be around £15
from Autowave and received next day
by the locksmith (as long as it’s ordered
before 4.15pm). That same item could cost
up to double that from a competitor.”
Such a low profit margin may not
seem like a lucrative business plan, but
as Ravi comments, he has developed a
loyal customer base by being ‘very picky
with products’, working closely with the
developers in China (visiting several times
a year), and maintaining a ‘grass roots’
service, where locksmiths, car accessory
dealers, motor spares shops, and anyone
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | JAN/FEB 2019
in between can drop-in and get anything
from one small item for a fit or repair, to a
full selection of products that will be sold
on from their own outfit.
“We’re making waves in the industry,”
Ravi concludes, “we may even be ruffling
a few feathers. But, having the experience
of working in the industry myself, I know
what locksmiths want and need; a decent
product, at a fair price, and fast. Locksmiths,
especially those that are self-employed or
one-man-bands need to get the job done
quickly so they can sign it off and move
onto the next one, but more importantly
it needs to be at a good price point so they
can be competitive and get a good wage for
themselves. Last but not least, they need
a product that does the job and won’t let
their customer down, so they will get repeat
business and those all-important referrals
and recommendations.”
Ravi’s history may have been the driving
force of his business, but it’s the future of
Autowave that is perhaps the most exciting
of all. With a new office set to open in Hong
Kong in Spring, Autowave training courses
in preparation, and big plans to move into
an ‘untapped market’ before the end of the
year, this ‘car radio fitter’ definitely seems
to be on the right wavelength.
Find out more at autowave.co.uk or
call 0115 837 7972