Corporate Spotlight: Global Rescue

November 11, 2015

This post is part of a series spotlighting Adventure Cycling's Corporate Members. These companies support our mission and programs and do some cool stuff of their own. We decided to ask them some questions and, as a result, have learned a few interesting things about our supporters that we'd like to share with you. The answers below are direct from the companies. We hope that this gives you the chance to get to know them a little better, too. For this post, Corporate Member Global Rescue shares with us a bit about their company and why they support Adventure Cycling Association.

Tell us a little bit about your company and its history.

Global Rescue provides medical, security, intelligence, travel risk management, and crisis response services to individuals, enterprises, and governments. The company was founded in 2004 in response to the need for emergency medical and security services for travelers. Over the past 11 years, Global Rescue has conducted over 5,000 missions. We have been involved in every major global event of the past decade, including the 2015 Nepal earthquake, 2011 Arab Spring, and 2010 Haiti earthquake.

What services or products do you provide for bicycle tourists?

Bicycle tourists want peace of mind, knowing that there is help if things go wrong on the road. Global Rescue provides 24/7/365 medical advisory and medical and security evacuation services anywhere in the world, including the U.S.

Why do you support Adventure Cycling through corporate membership?

The Adventure Cycling Association’s focus on inspiring travel by bicycle is exactly the type of organization that aligns with Global Rescue. With any adventure-based cycling, whether short road trips or multi-day mountain bike trips, there is a level of risk that goes along with the activity. Partnering with Global Rescue allows Adventure Cycling members to manage that risk. Additionally, the work that Adventure Cycling undertakes to support the cycling world makes the support of their organization an easy one. We are very pleased to be a sponsor of Adventure Cycling.

What are your favorite things going on in cycling right now?

It is very exciting to see cycling becoming more common and supported in cities. Many of our personnel bike to work at our Boston operations center using their own bikes and the Hubway bike share program.

Where would you like to see cycling in America in five years?

In five years, it would be fantastic to see more consideration for bikers in designing roads. Greater outreach to communities that have not yet embraced cycling would be great also.

What is your favorite service or program that Adventure Cycling offers? 

Adventure Cycling’s maps are very helpful for anyone who is planning a bike trip. The maps alone justify the cost of membership. It should be noted that anyone calling the Adventure Cycling 800 number will receive warm assistance from the bicycling friendly staff.

If your headquarters staff could relocate to any place in the world, where would they choose?

Geneva, Switzerland. The city is very cyclist friendly and there isn’t the urban sprawl associated with many other large cities. Because of the geography, a cyclist can start in the city but be out in farmland, mountains, and a beautiful natural environment in short order. 

Has any of your staff ridden Adventure Cycling’s mapped routes? If so, which ones?

Two years ago, one of our staff followed the Pacific Coast route, riding from San Francisco to Santa Barbara. He hopes to finish the rest of the route in the next year or two. Another of our staff, who is an Adventure Cycling member, rode the Western Express using Adventure Cycling maps from San Francisco to Pueblo, Colorado. From his reports, the Western Express is a glorious, never to be forgotten experience. As you can tell many of staff are avid cyclists who rely on your mapped routes for their big rides.

What do you like best about the magazine? 

The articles and cyclists’ experiences in the magazine provide a wealth of information and make for very enjoyable reading.

What cycling related benefits do you offer your staff?

We have an area in our Boston office with tools and a pump for personnel to repair and work on their bikes when the need arises and we have a storage area for bikes. We also have room for bikes in our Lebanon, NH office.

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