The Cart Key Story
Donna Lanier discovered the need for better golf cart locks and security systems while visiting with friends and immediately set out to invent a security system solution that would work on golf carts, ATVs and other small vehicles.
Founder, Key Control Technologies
Even though I have a BS from the University of Florida in Travel and Tourism, I found my passion for working on computers at a large law firm in Charlotte, North Carolina. This was during the startup of networks and very early beginnings of dial-up connections. I would open computers and add memory chips and change out hard drives while helping to install and manage one of the first and largest Novell networks.
As time passed and we started a family, our move to Florida allowed me to be a stay-at-home mom. I loved the time with the kids. My husband’s brother was working on developing a security keypad for a pneumatic cutter for large retail hardware stores, but he didn’t have enough time to devote to it. So, I took over the development of this keypad and started Key Control Technologies. While the kids were in school, you could find me in our garage soldering diodes, capacitors, etc. on a circuit board, assembling the units and shipping out to customers.
The Cart Key all started at our kitchen table in 2004. Dinner with friends involved a discussions of golf cars being stolen from his customers in The Villages. I really didn’t understand why anyone would steal a golf cart. He told me that these golf cars were personally owned and customized for daily use in The Villages. This is one of the largest retirement communities in the world, where almost every household’s second vehicle is a golf car. My mind immediately started thinking that I could use the same technology from my security keypad on the pneumatic cutter on a golf cart security keypad.
I asked my friend if I could come visit his golf cart dealership and get a better understanding of The Villages and the use of personal golf carts in that area. Wow, what an eye opener it was to visit The Villages!
Golf carts are used by almost everyone as their daily means of transportation. There is golf cart parking at the grocery stores, doctor offices and golf cart paths everywhere! These golf cars were not your typical golf course carts, but personalized, colorful, unique carts.
As I started studying the wiring and electronics of the different golf cars, I knew I could develop and keypad for security and management purposes. This process and design took approximately a year. Finding a local manufacturer to work with was a huge benefit to the development of the Cart Key.
Today, the Cart Key is not only used for personal golf cart security, but has also been used for years to manage The Ryder Cup golf cars as well as other rental and commercial applications around the world.