Three Lakes Drive
Northfield, IL 60093
847-949-5500 or 1-800-MEDLINE (800-633-5463)
www.medline.com

Medline is a global manufacturer and distributor serving the healthcare industry with medical supplies and clinical solutions. Headquartered in Northfield, IL, the company offers 350,000+ medical devices and support services through more than 1400 direct sales representatives for customers across the entire spectrum of healthcare.

In the personal care category, Medline manufactures Ultrasorbs drypads and FitRight disposable briefs for patients with incontinence. The company says it continually evaluates materials and designs to make its products the best fitting, most dignified, and driest on the market. Medline’s FitRight brief features an innovative panel design and a patented four-dimensional core that has quickly gained market share since inception, according to the company. Meanwhile, its drypad product, which launched the product category, is undergoing significant reinvention and will continually demonstrate advancements in core dryness and patient wellness, says John Fitter, senior vice president of operations of Incontinence Products, Medline.    

Medline began manufacturing at its Lithia Springs, GA, site in September 2011. Previously, the company used contract manufacturers for the majority of its product manufacturing. “The decision to establish our own factory enabled Medline to continue to innovate and drive future growth in this important segment of the healthcare marketplace,” says Fitter. “By manufacturing our own products, we can ensure quality, consistency, and innovation throughout our entire product line.”

Medline’s use of nonwoven materials throughout its products is widespread. The company partners with major nonwoven suppliers to find inventive nonwoven technologies at the right price point. “As our production capacity has increased, our suppliers have recognized our speed to market, which makes Medline an ideal candidate for suppliers to partner with to develop fresh new approaches to nonwoven materials,” Fitter says.

As baby boomers reach their retirement years, Medline’s market is growing exponentially, which is spurring the company and its nonwoven suppliers to respond with innovative and cost-efficient products that will make a difference in their lives. “Healthcare cost pressures demand that we continually search for better and better performing materials and processes that will lead to improved care for patients,” Fitter says.

Medline recently announced that its Lithia Springs location would be undergoing its fourth expansion, which will increase overall production capacity in two of its major product lines as well as streamline its material handling processes. A new warehouse at the site will give the company more than one million square feet of production and storage space. “That warehouse capability, along with Medline’s worldclass distribution network of over 40 national distribution centers, will ensure that our product innovations get to caregivers at the fastest pace in the industry,” Fitter explains.

He says when Medline first began manufacturing incontinence products, it tended to replicate its competition but offered better prices. “Now we’re viewed as an innovative leader, and in order to remain there, we have to never rest on our accomplishments. [We have] built the personal care business to be the market leader through relentless improvements in product design to better meet patient needs, as well as nimble cost-effectiveness.”