La.’s largest medical distribution facility now open for business

HAMMOND, La. (WVUE) - The biggest medical distribution facility in Louisiana held its grand opening Thursday (March 30).

Medline cut the ribbon on a $72 million investment that has already brought in more than 300 construction jobs to Tangipahoa Parish. The facility will create over 300 more jobs when fully operational.

Construction has wrapped up at the 650,000-square-foot warehouse on Industrial Park Road in Hammond which is already home to other large operations, including Entergy, Walmart, and Denka.

“Walmart is down the road. Niagara just broke ground,” said Parish President Robby Miller.

Two and a half years ago, St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper denied a permit for the project to move forward off of Hwy. 21 in Covington. Medline wasted little time in building its new facility not far from where Governor John Bel Edwards grew up.

“The fact they landed in Tangipahoa Parish is just a little sweeter for me,” Gov. Edwards said.

Company officials say the new plant is energy efficient and built to survive a thousand-year flood.

“With facilities like this, we service 99% of our customers the next day,” said Medline Vice President Steve Miller.

After some early bumps in the road, Medline consolidated two smaller plants in Covington and Hammond, merging operations into the new facility.

Medline says this plant represents the latest investment in a company improvement program that has seen $2 billion worth of upgrades in its distribution system nationwide.

Tangipahoa Parish officials say Medline trucks will typically come and go between 2 and 4 a.m., minimizing the impact on local highways and surface roads.

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