Medline Industries, Inc., a privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical and surgical supplies, will open a new state-of-the-art distribution center in Lincoln County, NC, U.S., in early 2015. Construction is expected to begin this spring on the new 400,000-square-foot facility, which will service Medline’s customers, including hospitals, nursing homes, surgery centers, home care agencies and other healthcare providers throughout North Carolina and surrounding states.

The $18 million distribution center will be constructed with the latest energy efficient technology and undergo LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification review. The program provides third-party verification of green buildings in the area of design, construction and operation.

The new distribution center will be located at the Lincoln County Industrial Park and initially create approximately 40 new jobs for the area.

When the new facility opens, Medline will have more than 40 distribution centers throughout the U.S., along with 19 manufacturing facilities and 1,200 sales representatives to support its broad line of 350,000 medical and surgical products.

In 2013, Medline’s sales grew 13% to $5.8 billion. Over the past five years, Medline says it has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to more than 450 major hospitals and healthcare systems.