GOLF
CAR
NEWS
Dayton Tours By
Golf Cart
New Start-Up
“Touring Carts”
new way to see the area
sites – golf cart tours–
will showcase Dayton’s
past as well as its future. A we are going to school inside Dayton,” said
Alex, a student at Holy Angels School. “It’s
nice to give back to something that is also
growing.”
The company, Touring Carts, is
the brainchild of John Meix-
ner of Bellbrook and his sons,
Aaron, 15, and Alex, 14. The family, which has its own golf cart, has
been tooling around Bellbrook and enjoy-
ing rides with friends for years – so a vehi-
cle for the business was already in hand.
Meixner, the CEO of Netdem-
ics, a technical support com-
pany, and his family take on a
project each winter. Last year,
they created a video game
and the year before the boys
became the youngest Google
apps certified administrators. Touring Carts, which will operate a four-seat
and a six-seat golf cart, will offer a pair of
tours of the city, each two hours long.
This year the family decid-
ed to create a business. “I
thought it was important for
the boys and the family to
learn how to start a business
and not just in theory but by
actually doing it,” said Meixner
who took his sons to see an
accountant and attorney.
“We talked about a lemonade
stand and all of the typical
things kids start,” said Meix-
ner, “but we wanted to be part
of the positive trend that is
going on.”
The idea for the Touring Carts
business grew from a desire
to share Dayton’s rich history
and promote the numerous
downtown renewal projects.
“Why not show it off?” said
Aaron who attends Chami-
nade Julienne High School and
likes to spend time in River-
Scape and downtown Dayton.
“We grew up here and now
Meixner will drive the golf carts - the
company has permission from the Dayton
Police Department to drive on city streets
— and his sons, who have been researching
area history and current events, will be
tour guides.
The golf carts have a top travel speed
between 20 and 25 mph and are equipped
with seatbelts, headlights, brake lights and
turn signals.
Highlights of the “Downtowner” tour
include the Dayton Arcade, RiverScape,
the Main Street Civil War monument, the
Schuster Center, the Dayton Art Institute
and the 2nd Street Public Market.
Passengers on the “University Circle” tour
will learn about various sites including the
University of Dayton, Patterson Home-
stead, and Woodland Cemetery.
Tours will cost $25 per person and will
be held each Saturday beginning in June.
Reservations can be made online at www.
touringcarts.com
“There’s a lot of people who live here who
don’t know about the history,” Meixner
said. “When you know where your roots
come from it explains where you are today.
That knowledge makes you look at the city
differently and makes you want to invest
more in it.
FEBRUARY 2019
39