A Cincinnati-based transportation startup is ramping up its growth efforts, with an industry veteran signing on as its first board member.
GEST Carts, which operates multi-passenger golf cart-type vehicles, is now operational in eight cities nationwide, with plans to add more in the coming months.
Beyond its Cincinnati footprint, GEST is available in: Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas (downtown and the Strip), Louisville and Scottsdale, Ariz. CEO Patrick Dye told Cincy Inno the company will next launch in New Orleans, Austin and Dallas.
GEST, which stands for Green Easy Safe Transportation, began in 2018 to much fanfare. Dye and his wife Lauren, co-founders of the business, borrowed its name from Gest Street downtown, where the company maintains its headquarters. The initial idea was to offer downtown residents and visitors an easier – and free – way to navigate the urban core. Customers can book rides just like with Uber using the GEST Carts app.
Dye previously told Cincy Inno the company aimed to be in more than 30 cities by the end of 2022. However, those expansion plans were hindered by both the coronavirus pandemic and supply chain issues. For instance, it was taking six to eight months to receive one of the company's five-passenger vehicles. Currently, that lead time is down to four months.
To aid in its expansion, GEST continues to sign franchise partners, a program it began in 2021, and has recruited Mike Murray, former CEO of transportation giant FirstGroup America, to be its first-ever board member.
Murray, Dye said in a statement, will work with the GEST team "to grow its portfolio of services to include: last-mile, point to point, entertainment districts and event service." Murray brings with him more than 30 years of experience in the transportation industry.
“GEST is a micro transportation company for people, a mobile advertising company and a tech company,” Murray said in a statement. “It’s an exciting time for GEST and I look forward to working with the team on the company’s expansion efforts over the next few years.”
