James Powell

James PowellOperations Manager

You've always got to outdo your neighbor," said James Powell, operations manager for Lake Erie Golf Cars in Solon, Ohio.

In four years, his shop has customized hundreds of cars and now offer 1,500 colors.

"Before you got white or you got green," Powell said.

Customers have spent up to $20,000 installing televisions, stereos, oversized tires, neon lights and custom rims.Powell's shop can customize a golf cart to look like anything from a Hummer to an old-fashioned roadster.

Powell said electric golf carts save drivers from going the pump and even the ones with gasoline engines are fuel-efficient.

Most golf carts travel only 12-14 mph, but he can equip them to go up to 25 mph.

James Powell, operations manager at Lake Erie Golf Cars, stands by a roadster golf cart Thursday, June 2, 2005, in Solon, Ohio.

In late 2002, Lake Erie Golf Cars Operation Manager James Powell, sick of the old golf-car white, decided to paint two new carts different colors.

"In two days, they were gone," Powell says."It took off from there."

"It" is Lake Erie's golf-cart customizing business.In less than two years, made-to-order carts have become the majority of Lake Erie's retail business.

Custom bodies, heaters, bucket seats, televisions, DVD players, PlayStations, rims, radios, seat warmers â€" "It's not so outlandish anymore," Powell says.
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Everyone wants speed, Powell says.
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"It's boring when everyone has a white golf cart," Powell says.

In late 2002, Lake Erie Golf Cars Operation Manager James Powell, sick of the old golf-car white, decided to paint two new carts different colors.

"In two days, they were gone," Powell says."It took off from there."

"It" is Lake Erie's golf-cart customizing business.In less than two years, made-to-order carts have become the majority of Lake Erie's retail business.

Custom bodies, heaters, bucket seats, televisions, DVD players, PlayStations, rims, radios, seat warmers - "It's not so outlandish anymore," Powell says.
...
Everyone wants speed, Powell says.
...
"It's boring when everyone has a white golf cart," Powell says.

James PowellOperations Managerjpowell@legolfcars.com

"Customers want something to say that this is their car, something that resembles them," said James Powell, Lake Erie's operations manager.
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Frank Cisterino, Lake Erie's general manager, said the concept would have never taken off without Powell, 29, of Northfield, who worked his way up through the company.
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"James took a real passion on designing these custom cars and coming up with really neat stuff," Cisterino said.

James Powell
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You've always got to outdo your neighbor," said James Powell, operations manager for Lake Erie Golf Cars in Solon, Ohio.

In four years, his shop has customized hundreds of cars and now offer 1,500 colors.

"Before you got white or you got green," Powell said.

Customers have spent up to $20,000 installing televisions, stereos, oversized tires, neon lights and custom rims.Powell's shop can customize a golf cart to look like anything from a Hummer to an old-fashioned roadster.

Powell said electric golf carts save drivers from going the pump and even the ones with gasoline engines are fuel-efficient.

Most golf carts travel only 12-14 mph, but he can equip them to go up to 25 mph.