And Away We Go!

Home Slice LLC, the parent company of On The Fly®, was created in early 2007 by three crazy kats that saw a void that needed to be filled in their Hometown: Fresh, local food options that can be found on the street, in the metro, or even in your gym – On The Fly®. So they invented a few things, started a few little companies, and here they are! If you haven't seen them around town, then open your eyes. They are everywhere.

Ecovending® (vb.) – to vend with social responsibility. To provide delicious and high quality foods to consumers while loving the environment.

Ecovending® (n.) – the act of selling healthy, eco-friendly foods, the smart thing to do.

On the Fly is all about supporting local companies whenever possible and damaging the environment as little as possible while providing great food and drink to the people of the city. Each of there "smartkarts®" is an American made, zero-emission plug-in truck. They use eco-friendly packaging for our products, source locally to mitigate carbon emissions and stock organically farmed, chemical-free food whenever possible. They love their mothers, including the ultimate mother, Earth. After all, for them, it’s about being smart and responsible, and having fun at the same time. It's a business model we should all hope to strive for. So you can imagine my excitement when my friend and fellow triathlete Steuart Martens from Tradewinds Specialty Imports, LLC (you'll remember him from the Ye Olde Wine posting back in April 2009) asked me if I was available to photograph the On The Fly's karts for some publicity spots in upcoming newspapers and magazines. Um, yes please.

smartkarts® are their proprietary mobile café's. After a year of design with various experts, they've produced this revolutionary mobile unit built on an American-made GEM Electric Vehicle platform (www.gemcar.com). Smartkart® provides hot prepared entrees made by them and locally famous businesses, prepackaged meals from their kitchen, and snacks and drinks that are mostly natural, organic and chemical-free. And after spending an entire day driving around in one of these vehicles, I'm amazed at the versatility of each kart. If you see the On The FLY banner flying somewhere on the mall or during your lunch break, be sure to check them out. You won't be disappointed.

Plug it in, plug it in!
(Wait, that's a jingle for a different product)

Outside the Smithsonian Castle on the National Mall in Washington, DC.

From a small idea to a major company, On the FLY now has a fleet of smartkarts throughout the city.

With zero carbon emissions and topping out at over 20mph, the GEM vehicles on which the smartkart is built has the promise to revolutionize the industry through several markets.

During the summer, tourists are a major portion of On the FLY's customer base. The Smithsonian museums offer a perfect backdrop on location for each one.

Each smartkart is personalized based on the type of food it serves. This one serves their great tasting empanadas.

On the Fly co-founders Michel Heitstuman and Christopher Lynch.


With their home base being on the basement level of RESULTS GYM on Capitol Hill, all they need to do to power these bad boys up is lift the cap and plug it in.

On April 21, 2008 On The FLY launch it's new locations at U.S.
National Arboretum and the Half Street Corridor by Nationals Ballpark. The great thing is, they let you bring outside food into the stadium. So if you're sick of all the "unhealthy" food at the ballpark, be sure to check them out. It's also much cheaper. :-)



They also provide great catering opportunities for your office party



Global Electric Motorcars, a Chrysler company, has been in operation for ten years. Located in Fargo, North Dakota, Global Electric Motorcars manufactured its first vehicle in April 1998, a 48-volt GEM car that accommodated two passengers and had a top speed of 20 mph. Less than two months later, a significant breakthrough occurred in the market as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designated a new class of motor vehicle, the low-speed vehicle, also known as the Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). The low-speed vehicle class allowed GEM cars to be driven on public roads if they met certain safety criteria such as having safety belts, headlamps, windshield wipers, and safety glass. So, GEM cars always come equipped with these safety features making them a benchmark in the industry.

I just love the fisheye lens.

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KIP PIERSON PHOTOGRAPHY
www.kippierson.com

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