Our Company

The company had very humble beginnings as Richard Zuschlag and his co-founders answered calls, drove ambulances, swept the headquarters, kept books and did whatever else was necessary to get the company off the ground.

In an area known for a family-centric culture with strong communities and hard workers, Acadian Ambulance grew out of our community’s need for emergency medical support and care. Commitment to our community, along with our love of the people within it, guided us in the beginning and is our driving force today.

Co-founder Richard Zuschlag remains as the chairman & CEO. “We were determined to provide the best ambulance service possible,” he said. “We had a lot of help and support from Lafayette Parish officials and will forever remain grateful.”

Acadian Ambulance began operations more than 50 years ago, covering less than 300 square miles of Lafayette Parish, to fill a dire need of emergency medical transportation. Thanks to the drive and tenacity of our three founders and eight original medics, Acadian has evolved into a multi-faceted company with a global reach.

Because of the remarkable dedication of our employee-owners, Acadian Ambulance and its sister subsidiaries have won the highest honors in our industry. Our growth, diversification, and commitment to excellence has garnered our company international acclaim and recognition by the American Ambulance Association, the U.S. Senate, Microsoft founder and author Bill Gates, Inc. magazine, and even the Smithsonian Institution.

At Acadian, we consider our more than 4,000 employees family. And, when we experience a fallen comrade, it affects us all. We pay tribute to them and the contributions they made to Acadian.

In 1993, Acadian instituted an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), giving employees the opportunity to own private stock in the company. Today, Acadian employees currently own 80% of the company stock.