Pride Care and CEMS Form Merger to Become the Largest Ambulance Provider in Southwest Michigan

Pride Care Ambulance and Coloma EMS have entered into a strategic partnership beginning January 15th of 2010.  The companies have finalized the plans for the merger, which has been in the exploratory phase for the last year and a half.  Both companies entered into preliminary talks in 2008 in an effort to explore ways of working together to cut operating costs and improve efficiencies.  Tim Onderlinde, President of the Board and CFO for the newly formed company, says, “In today’s economy, we need to look at ways to reduce our costs and pass on those savings to our customers.  Municipalities, health care providers, and most importantly, patients will get even better care, with less cost to them.”

Pride Care will be the official company name in order to most effectively represent the regional aspects of the company.  Brian Balow, CEO and Chairman of the Board for Pride Care, states that “We will be hiring additional EMT‘s and Paramedics, and making no changes to our top management and supervisory positions”.  The companies will now have in excess of 200 employees and be the largest ambulance provider Southwest Michigan.