For Immediate Release
Medline Acquires Chester Labs; Chester Labs To Continue As Independent Operating Entity Under New Name Of Chester Packaging, LLC
Thursday, June 26, 2008 — Medline Industries, Inc., the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, announced today that it has acquired Chester Labs, a leading manufacturer of liquid products for personal care, infection control and diagnostic use in medical facilities. Chester Labs, based in Cincinnati, will continue to operate as an independent operating entity under the name Chester Packaging, LLC.
"This is a terrific situation for Chester Packaging and our customers," said John Armstrong, president, Chester Packaging. "Our new alignment with Medline provides us access to capital to accelerate what we think is a very exciting new product development agenda. It also allows us to upgrade the infrastructure of our company and improve the resources we can employ to serve our customers."
"Chester Labs is a very well-run company with solid, well-recognized brands. This acquisition allows Chester to move more quickly into the development of new technologies that will secure their position as a leader in their field," said Andy Mills, president, Medline. "The intent is to allow Chester to operate independently of Medline and employ their own unique business strategy in serving their customer base. In addition, we are very pleased to announce the entire management team at Chester has agreed to remain and manage into the future. This acquisition is a very good thing for our two companies and, most importantly, our customers."
About Chester Labs
Chester Labs, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, manufactures liquid products for personal care, infection control and diagnostic use in medical facilities. Chester Labs is a 13485:2003 and 9001:2000 certified manufacturing facility.
About Medline
Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies and other markets. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 800 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.
Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 250 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.
Medline has a growing network of 34 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 160 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.