When Acadian Chairman and CEO Richard Zuschlag is asked what makes his company so successful, his response is simple: “Find good people and treat them above average.”

“Our employees are not only loyal to our company, but they love what they do. I would not be where I am today without each and every one of them.”

Zuschlag, along with other business leaders, were honored for their accomplishments at the Junior Achievement of Acadiana’s 19th annual Business Hall of Fame. Proceeds from the event benefit Junior Achievement of Acadiana, a non-profit organization that prepares Acadiana’s future leaders by teaching them work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy, and effectively connects the boardroom to the classroom.

Chosen as a 2015 laureate recipient, Zuschlag reminisced about his humble beginnings more than 43 years ago.

“With only few thousand dollars, two ambulances and a handful of Vietnam veterans, my partners Roland Dugas, Richard Sturlese and I definitely had our work cut out for us,” he said. “But thanks to the support we received from the community and our small team of hardworking individuals, we were able to succeed and grow into where we are today.”

Acadian Ambulance is now one of the largest emergency medical service providers in the United States with more than 4,000 employees. In recent years, Acadian Companies has expanded to provide energy industry safety services, medic training and security monitoring.

Zuschlag is aware of the importance of giving back and instills this pay-it-forward attitude at Acadian. “Many people believed and supported us when we could barely keep our heads above water,” he said. “I always knew when I could, I would give back to our community just as much as they did for us more than 40 years ago.”

Since 1971, Acadian has been committed to providing the highest level of emergency medical care and transportation possible. In the past decade, the company has expanded to include a diverse suite of services in health, safety, security, and transportation. Acadian’s six divisions are Acadian Ambulance Service, Acadian Total Security, Air Med, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, National EMS Academy and Safety Management Systems.

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