Jerry Hayes, owner and founder of Elusive Tours, has a vision of the Eastern Shore as a destination for luxurious and memorable experiences. A Cambridge native, Hayes has traveled the country and the world, and has used his experiences in both the military and the private sector to establish a company that emphasizes professionalism, stellar service, and extraordinary experiences.

Hayes served in the United States Army for five years, enlisting in 1997 at age 18. After completing basic training, Hayes’ first deployment was a nine-month stint in Bosnia; in his own words, “[Bosnia] is where I became a man.” He was initially assigned as a patrol specialist, but just two months later, Hayes’ Command Sergeant Major took notice of his hard work and designated Hayes as his personal driver. Hayes believes he was chosen for this position because his superior “noticed [he] was dedicated to duty and took [his] position in the military very seriously.”

After returning from Bosnia, Hayes was stationed on Fort Lee before leaving for Okinawa, where he completed a hands-on training course to become a Petroleum Supply Specialist; this position can include various responsibilities, such as managing storage of petroleum products, driving fuel vehicles, and ensuring safe handling of fuel supplies. Hayes’ major area of responsibility was the deployment of IPDSs, or Inland Petroleum Distribution Systems, fuel storage and distribution systems designed to transport large quantities of fuel in combat areas.

After completing his military service, Hayes accomplished a long-standing ambition by attending culinary school in Miami. His first restaurant experience was an internship at the Ritz Carlton in Georgetown, where Hayes “elevated [his] experience in providing exceptional service.” After this, he decided to move back home to Cambridge and worked as a sous chef at Snappers as well as a banquet server at the Inn at Perry Cabin. Despite learning valuable lessons, Hayes found himself unsatisfied with the restaurant industry, and decided to shift his attention elsewhere, securing a job as a limousine driver, which he greatly enjoyed.

Seeing promise in the transportation industry, Hayes later became a logistics coordinator for Choptank Transport, a transportation logistics company specializing in truck brokerage. After attaining a specialty certification in brokerage, Hayes became the first coordinator in the company to be promoted to salesman. Hayes found success in this position, but found himself questioning: “What am I really passionate about? What do I really want to do?”

Hayes decided to use his experiences in transportation, hospitality, and logistics to launch his own company, Elusive Tours, which provides luxury services including premium transportation, tours of local attractions, and special events. Some of Elusive’s most popular destinations include Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, RAR Brewery, and Washington, DC. The company also collaborates with local organizations to provide specialty tours: recently, Elusive provided transport for members of the Warrior Foundation, a veterans’ non-profit organization, to a Marine Corps museum in Quantico. As Hayes puts it, “when I’m serving my guests, I’m constantly thinking of ways to enhance their experience.”

Hayes is ecstatic with the progress of his company so far; as he described it, “I’m finally truly living my passion. Each week is different: I get to meet great people from all walks of life, and I get to introduce them to my hometown.” He appreciates the opportunity to highlight local businesses and attractions and would love to make more people across the country aware of what Dorchester County has to offer. To honor the history of his hometown, he plans to host a summer event based around tomatoes, in reference to the Philips Packing Company, a tomato canning company that was the main industry of Cambridge for decades; in fact, Cambridge was once known as the “Tomato Canning Capital of the World.”

The lessons that Hayes learned in his military service have helped him immensely in civilian life and especially his business goals. He sees integrity as one of the major factors that has driven his success: in his words, “If I say I’m going to do something, I do it. If someone books me, I’m usually there five to ten minutes prior. I learned to be very disciplined, because I represent not only my company, but my community.” Hayes has big plans for the future of Elusive Tours and could not be more excited to help Dorchester County grow as a destination for unique and memorable experiences.