JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind. (WDRB) -- One southern Indiana woman is celebrating National Women's Month by breaking gender barriers and becoming the mastermind behind a 1.1 million square-foot warehouse operation.

Filomena Kropiwiec is the engine at Medline Industries, a company that provides medical supplies. Since January, Kropiwiec has led a team of nearly 400 at the Jeffersonville, Indiana, distribution center.

"We take everybody and anybody that is willing to come in and work hard," she said.

The distribution center serves hospitals and healthcare facilities in Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. It boasts a transportation fleet of 60 medical transport vehicles. Construction on the $70 million facility was completed in 2019, but the coronavirus pandemic delayed its grand opening until 2022. 

"We do, on average, I would say, produce or pick about 55,000 lines a day out of this building, medical supplies," said Kropiwiec.

The Illinois native is one of a few female leaders in the warehouse and logistics field nationally. Less than 90 days on the job, she's already shifting work culture.

"Team members are now having work-life balance and our customers are getting their product on time when they need it," she said.

But as she has climbed the logistics ladder, each rung brought new challenges.

"Sometimes I feel like you have to prove yourself a little bit sometimes," said Kropiwiec. "Your opinions and ideas are really not heard, and sometimes that can be difficult, but I think you just have to stick with it."

Kropiwiec is a mother and credited much of her success to her husband's caring support. That's something she said she also tries to supply to her employees.

"I noticed some of our employees don't have means to get to work," she said. 

"So we worked with our corporate team, TARC and River Ridge, and they are going to get us a bus stop."

Christy Heil has worked for Medline for five years and said seeing diversity in leadership inspires her to strive for more.

"It has been a great asset to have her here," Heil said. "She shows me that it is possible for me to advance here with Medline. It gives me hope."

Successful women in warehouse operations may still be a rare sight, but until there are more, Kropiwiec said she will continue to break gender barriers, paving the way for the next generation.

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