Summary
With fifty successful years behind Acadian Ambulance Service, now known as Acadian Companies, the focus was clearly on the future. The company had a history of steady organic growth and external growth through strategic mergers and acquisitions. The company now was comprised of six successful and profitable divisions, all synergistic but unique in their management and operations. The company possessed significant assets such as planes, helicopters, and some of the best ambulances in the country – perhaps the world. Innovative technology permeated every corner of the organization, and it laid the foundation for expansion beyond lifesaving to safety and security. The goodwill Acadian enjoyed over the years was an outgrowth of service to the communities in which it operated beginning in southern Louisiana. But the real secret to Acadian’s success was the employees, all focused on the mission to improve the lives of its patients and customers. Strategic planning was believed to be another cornerstone of the company’s success. The remaining active founder wanted to pass along the responsibility for strategic planning. Thus, it was time to develop a long-term plan that would ensure the future growth of the company for the next 50 years. This effort would rest squarely on the shoulders of the owners of the company, all 4,000 of them. This case study is part of the CLEO Case Studies Collection. Discussion questions included.