Keys Group Milestones

1967-
Brady Keys, Jr. Founds All Pro Fried Chicken, Inc. and becoming the first African American to form a national franchise.

1969 -
All Pro Chicken, Inc. and Kentucky Fried Chicken form joint venture creating Brady keys Fried Chicken. Goal is to develop inner city fast food franchise.

• Ford Foundation provides $250,000.00 loan to aid in All Pro's expansion.
• The Mellon and Scalfe families of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania award All Pro $400,000.00 grant to train 2,000 African Americans to run the new outlets.
• Insurance groups including Berkshire Life, Travelers and Connecticut Mutual award All Pro $2.2 million in debt and equity financing. Largest institutional insurance package ever offered to a bi-racial business firm.

1970 -
Keys forms Urban Talent Development Corporation, a non-profit organization developed to train the underemployed. Leonard E. Burnett, Sr. is appointed Executive Director.

1971 -
Brady Keys Kentucky Fried Chicken opens its first store at 2281 Gratiot Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

• From Football to Finance: The Story of Brady Keys, Jr. is published by Harcourt Brace.
• All Pro opens its first A&W Root Beer Restaurant in St. Louis.

1972 -
All Pro debuts at #30 on Black Entertainment Magazine's first list of 100 largest minority owned businesses.

1973 -
Keys reaches agreement with A&W international, a wholly owned subsidiary of the United Brands Company, the nation's oldest food chain to develop up to 70 franchised restaurants in metropolitan inner-city markets.

• President Richard Nixon appoints Keys to Advisory Council on Minority Business Enterprise.
• All Pro Chicken receives 5.5 million dollar loan from the Economic Development Administration (EDA), U.S. Department of Commerce to establish 60 new stores and create 1500 new jobs.
• All Pro opens first Burger King in Harlem on 3h Avenue and 123h street.

1974 -
All Pro Chicken debuts at number 26 on Black Enterprise Magazine's list of the 100 largest minority businesses. The company has 685 employees, more than any other on the list.

1975 -
Pennky Mining and Oil Company a coal and oil company founded.

1979 -
Keys Group is number 84 on Black Enterprise Magazine's list of the largest minority business with 5.2 million in sales.

• Doris Byes (Mills) is appointed Area Coordinator of Brady Keys Fried Chicken, becoming the first African American woman to hold an area management position in the nation's fast food industry.

1980 -
Keys, Burnett and the Ramsey sisters purchase Ramsey & Ramsey, Inc. a braiding and weaving salon in Detroit which later expands to Tifton and Albany, Georgia.

1982 -
Brady Keys Athletic Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation is formed offering scholarships to Albany State University athletes and other local citizens. To date $22,000.00 in scholarships have been issued.

1983 -
Inaugural year of Albany High Kentucky Fried Chicken Basketball Classic- featuring male and female Southwest Georgia high school teams in Christmas tournament held at Albany James H. Gray Civic Center.

1987 -
Community Access News- a free community newspaper is launched in Detroit with a circulation of 50,000

• Brady Keys: A Black Pioneer exhibits opens at the Detroit Museum of African American History.

1988 -
Keys Group is featured as a cover story in Black Enterprise Magazine, "The Franchise 50: turning the Key to Franchise Success."

1990 -
Keys partners with Maxine Willis to form K.E.Y.S. Kids (Kids Enjoy Yourselves Without Drugs) substance abuse prevention program for elementary children. Television show with Henson-like characters and lessons are created.

1992 -
Keys Communications Group, Inc. formed upon purchase of WJIZ 96.3 FM and WJYZ 960 AM in Albany, Georgia.

• Keys News & Gift opens in the Orlando International Airport. The 3500 sq. ft. facility is the largest minority owned airport concession in the country.
• Key-Watt Productions, Inc- Keys co-ventures with Detroit deejay and producer R.J. Watkins to form television production company.

1994 -
Mayor Paul Keenan of the City of Albany, Georgia issues proclamation honoring Brady Keys, Jr. as the outstanding African American Albanian of the year.

1995 -
Keys and Burnett publish Black Business Directory, Inc. an annual publication designed to attract commerce to minority businesses in Southwest Georgia.

• Keys commissions Bill Cannon & Company to conduct a disparity study to analyze racial problems related to African Americans securing government construction contracts as well as the hiring, promotion, and retention practices of City of Albany, Georgia

1996 -
Brady Keys is inducted into the Colorado State University Athlete Hall of Fame for outstanding achievements in business and sports.

1997 -
Keys sells WJIZ-FM, the No. 1 rated urban radio station in the country, and WJYZ-AM to Peterson broadcasting for over 3 million dollars.

1998 -
Keys Airport Business and U. K duty free retailer, Alpha Retail form historic joint venture, Alpha-Keys Orlando Retail Associates, to operate three duty free shops in the Orlando International Airport. Sales exceed 12 million dollars annually.

2001 -
Keys forms Keys Technology Group, Inc. KTG acquires rights to the parent-teacher communications system, HIPSCHOOLS.COM. KTG serves over 20,000 students under a grant from the New York City Council.

2002 -
Brady Keys Fried Chicken, Inc. sells its Albany, Georgia Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants and opens three locations in Orlando, Florida.

2003 -
Keys Gift Shop renews and extends its contract in the Orlando International Airport to operate its very successful Gator themed Store. Sales exceed 4 million dollars.

• Keys receives a contract to operate a second Gift Shop in the Orlando airport where sales exceed 1.6 million dollars.

2004 -
Keys sells the Orlando area KFC restaurants closing a long and glorious chapter in Restaurant history after 37 continuous years of operating restaurants.

2005 -
Alpha-Keys receives a five year extension to continue operating its three duty free stores in Orlando Airport.

2006 -
Keys fulfills a life long dream and forms Keys and Sons Jewelers selling affordable jewelry in the Orlando Airport, on the internet and on Television.