Getting to know Life Line Emergency Vehicles and the process behind putting an ambulance on the road
Based in Sumner , Iowa , Life Line Emergency Vehicles ( Life Line ) puts quality , safety , and structural integrity first to help save lives and provide its customers with long-lasting value . Established in 1985 by father-and-son duo , Jim and Terry Leicher , Life Line was used to operating at a relatively small scale . By the end of that year , the company had delivered its first emergency Paraliner Ambulance to the Sartori Memorial Hospital in Cedar Falls .
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Following that success , the Leichers began building Type I Ambulances for the City of Omaha , Nebraska . Business quickly began to pick up . In 1988 , Life Line became one of the first in the industry to be a participant in Ford ’ s ‘ Qualified Vehicle Modifier ’ scheme , and over time the company had to make multiple factory moves to keep up with manufacturing demands .
The Life Line story becomes more personal in 2007 . In that year , it became a 30 percent employee-owned company . But it did not stop
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Quality and performance are paramount there . Life Line became part of Folience Holding Company ten years later and transformed the business into one completely owned by those that work for it .
This has not gone unnoticed . Earlier this year , Life Line was awarded the national Employee-Owned Company of the Year Award . Today , the company employs over 180 people and strives to manufacture at least 250 ambulances per year .
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