Medline Industries, based in Mundelein, Ill., is the largest privately held healthcare supplies manufacturer and distributor in the country.
Here are five things to know about Medline.
1. Medline was founded in 1966, but its roots date back to 1910 when founder A.L. Mills started Northwestern Garment Factory sewing aprons for Chicago's Stockyards. In 1912, Mr. Mills incorporated Mills Hospital Supply and began manufacturing surgical gowns and uniforms. Mr. Mills' son Irving began managing the family business in 1924. In 1966, Irving's sons founded what is now Medline Industries, Inc. Now, the $5.8 billion global enterprise provides more than 350,000 products that are used throughout the entire care continuum, from equipment to hospital linens to infection prevention products to durable medical equipment to clinical support.
2. The company is currently managed by the fourth-generation of the Mills family, following great-grandfather A.L. Mills' footsteps. CEO Charlie Mills and his first cousin president Andy Mills have been in their positions since 1997. Jim Abrams is the company's chief operating officer, also since 1997.
3. Medline has developed a number of healthcare product "firsts." In the 1940s, what was then Mills Hospital Supply manufactured the first colored surgical gown in jade green and misty. In the 1970s, Medline launched the industry's first inventory management consignment program, ACCESS Consignment. The first healthcare exam gloves with aloe were developed by Medline in the 1990s. In 2012 Medline released the first antiviral face mask in the country that inactivates flu viruses and the industry's first long-sleeved operating room scrub.
4. Most recently, Medline revealed a number of wound and skin care solutions at the Symposium on Advanced Wound Care Spring 2014 conference. The Opticell Ag+ Gelling Fiber features Chytoform technology that transforms the fibers of the dressing into a clear, conformable gel that helps manage drainage from the wound. Medline also presented TheraHoney, a sterile wound dressing made from 100 percent medical-grade Manuka honey, a type of honey exhibiting antibacterial properties.
5. Medline's Steriset Sterilization Containers were included on Becker's Hospital Review's "100 Infection Control Products to Know." The aluminum cases allow for hygienic transport of surgical instruments.
More Articles on Hospital Supply Chain:
FDA Approves First Implantable Neurostimulator for Sleep Apnea
Navigating the Saline Solution Shortage: 4 Things to Know
How Detergent Pods Can Save Healthcare