The locksmith side of Gladney is headed by automotive locksmith industry veteran Chris Lira.

Chris got his start with Pop-A-Lock of Orlando, FL in 2007 with a roadside technician position, quickly moving into a technician supervisor role from there. His fascination with locks and security pushed him to the role of ‘Key Tech’ and eventually earn the title of ‘Locksmith’ before leaving PAL in 2011 due to family relocation.

In 2015, he returned to Orlando (and the industry), this time working for independent shop Advance Auto Locksmith. It was there that he was really able to focus his attention to vehicular applications, hone his skills, and absorb the minutiae of working with all kinds of automotive lock systems.

In 2019, He accepted a joint position in Las Vegas, NV between distributor American Key Supply and tool maker Lock Labs, serving as subject matter expert and project manager for both. His original focus was intended to be the support and development for the AutoProPAD line of diagnostic scan tools, though development of the Triton key machine became his primary focal point when it was introduced.

Early 2022 found Chris missing the feeling of being in the field and a chance conversation put him in contact with Gladney owner Kirk Holland. A quick visit and some paperwork later, Chris packed up and moved to College Station to work for Kirk full time. 

Chris continues to serve as an advisor for Lock Labs and enjoys living in and serving the BCS area and expanding his knowledge of automotive service and repair.