Ground transportation providers Hip Shuttle and SummitQwest Ground today will announce a merger to form HQ, a new corporate provider and booking platform, according to the companies.
The tie-up brings the two firms together in a new platform that they say offers corporates a more comprehensive mobility universe and brings more visibility and accuracy to the associated spend via integrated payment and audit systems, as well as integration with enterprise systems.
Hip co-founder and CEO Amiad Soloman will serve as HQ's CEO. SummitQwest founder and CEO Jeff LaFave will continue as managing director of the SummitQwest business.
The merger "accelerates our market-leading embedded corporate transportation offering… and will enhance the overall value proposition we are delivering to our clients, our partners and their customers," said LaFave. Between them, Hip Shuttle and SummitQwest Ground already held contracts with several Fortune 1000 companies, they said.
HQ attracted corporate transportation industry veteran David Kilduff as the company's SVP of sales. Speaking to BTN, Kilduff emphasized the need for auditing in the ground transportation space and lauded the SummitQwest proposition for "following the ride all the way to its conclusion," in a way that reconciles spend and provides a seamless, trustworthy solution for clients. Kilduff also noted corporate challenges for returning to the office after the Covid-19 pandemic, and the increased demand for shuttles to meet the changing needs of these clients.