Medline recently celebrated the opening of its 1.4 million-square-foot, LEED-certified distribution center in Grayslake, Illinois — the largest medical-grade distribution center in the country —with an on-site ribbon-cutting.

“We are so grateful to be here today celebrating our newest facility with our customers, local officials and partner organizations,” said Brian Bevers, senior vice president of operations at Medline. “Medline has operated in Lake County for nearly 50 years, and we look forward to growing our presence in the community with this latest facility in Grayslake. Thank you to all who have supported us and for joining us on this special day.”

Medline staff were joined by state and local representatives, including Illinois Department of Commerce Chief of Staff Casimir Peters, Lake County Treasurer Holly Kim, Lake County Board Member Kevin Hunter, Grayslake Mayor Rhett Taylor, and representatives from Lake County Partners and area hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare providers.

The $125 million, state-of-the-art facility distributes thousands of individual products and devices to Midwest and U.S. healthcare providers across the continuum of care, including hospitals, nursing homes, ambulatory surgery centers, hospices and physicians’ offices. Over $1.3 billion in annual orders are expected to be handled from the Grayslake facility.

Helping healthcare providers deliver optimal care

“At Medline, we help healthcare providers activate the clinical and supply chain resources needed to deliver the best care possible for their clinicians and patients, and we’re really proud of that,” said Doug Golwas, Medline executive vice president, Acute Care. “Medline is a company where we have continued to invest in the resiliency of the supply chain. The size of this building allows us to take care of our customers as they continue to grow.”

Medline serves the nation’s top healthcare systems, operating over 50 distribution centers and more than 20 manufacturing facilities across North America. Medline distributes 300,000 unique medical products, including 65,000+ manufactured by Medline. The Grayslake distribution center is a part of Medline’s $2 billion Healthcare Resilience Initiative, a national capital expenditure campaign that included new distribution centers, manufacturing capabilities and information technology (IT) upgrades to further the company’s commitment to delivering superior customer service.

Nineteen Medline employees — “our biggest asset,” according to William Ingalls, senior director of operations at the Grayslake facility— were honored during the ceremony for their years of service, as well as for contributions during the pandemic and in response to community needs.

A $1.3 billion economic impact in Lake County

Medline currently manages six facilities throughout Lake County, Illinois, including offices, manufacturing and distribution. Medline supports small businesses and plans to spend approximately $2.5 million annually with local vendors for maintenance, upkeep and operations in Grayslake. Medline employs more than 3,000 team members, supports more than 15 local nonprofit organizations, and provides an annual, total economic impact of nearly $1.3 billion in Lake County.

“We’re really excited that as Medline has gone through terrific growth nationwide and even globally over the last couple of years, and that they have chosen to expand further here in Lake County,” said Kevin Considine, president and CEO of Lake County Partners. “This is a tremendous workforce opportunity for the region.”

“This is a company that began here, grew over decades, and continues to give back,” said Kim. “I’ve seen it; contributions to local schools, the forest preserve, and so much more. So thank you for continuing to grow your future here. And thank you for calling Lake County home.”

Learn how Medline tailors solutions across the entire continuum of care as a manufacturer and distributor.