More layoffs in Charlotte region: Medical supplier closing plant, nearly 100 jobs cut
.jpg "Medline Industries is permanently closing its Salisbury plant, resulting in 97 layoffs. Medline’s Charlotte distribution center in Lincolnton, shown, saw medical supply demand increase 300% at the beginning of the pandemic.")
Another manufacturer in the Charlotte region is permanently closing, laying off nearly 100 people.
Medline Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies, will permanently close its Salisbury location in Rowan County, northeast of Charlotte, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) filed Monday with the North Carolina Department of Commerce.
Medline’s plant closure at 3310 S. Main St. will result in 97 layoffs, Rachel Coonce, senior director of human resources for Medline, said in the report.
The final separation date for the plant’s production employees is Sept. 2 and warehouse employees will leave Nov. 18, Medline’s spokeswoman Kristi Krasovetz told The Charlotte Observer Thursday. The plant manufactures surgical procedure kits.
The employees — listed in the report as everything from line assembly to quality roles and supervision, production and maintenance — do not have a union representative. Employees will receive severance packages and outplacement services, Krasovetz said.
“All Salisbury team members are encouraged to apply for other open positions at Medline,” Krasovetz said. “Medline will also host an on-site job fair with local hiring companies to provide additional interview opportunities to interested employees.”
Other Charlotte area layoffs
Two other companies in the Charlotte region also announced layoffs within the last week.
Hitachi Metals North Carolina, also in Rowan County, which manufactures “ceramic ferrite magnets” for the automotive industry, is permanently closing. As many as 81 layoffs will happen between Sept. 30 and Dec. 31, The Observer previously reported.
NFI Industries, a supply chain logistics and distribution company based in New Jersey, will permanently lay off 56 workers, effective Sept. 16, at its Rock Hill site, The Herald reported.
More about Medline
In 2019, Medline Industries said it would create 250 jobs in Orange County by investing $65 million to build a 1.2 million-square-foot distribution center in Mebane. For its investment, Medline received a performance-based grant of $500,000 from the One North Carolina Fund, according to Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
Medline was at the forefront of the COVID pandemic crisis, manufacturing and distributing advanced medical equipment to hospital systems in the Charlotte region, The Observer previously reported. Its two North Carolina distribution centers — a 400,000-square-foot center in Lincolnton with 300 workers and 350,000-square-foot Concord facility with 75 employees — were running 24/7 shifts to meet demand in 2020. The Concord site was expected to be temporary until Mebane opened.
Medline, the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of medical supplies in the U.S., is based in Illinois and reported over $20 billion in sales last year. The family-owned business manufactures more than 65,000 products and distributes more than 300,000 medical products, according to the company’s website. The healthcare company has more than 30,000 employees worldwide and does business in more than 125 countries and territories.
This story was originally published July 21, 2022 at 1:25 PM with the headline "More layoffs in Charlotte region: Medical supplier closing plant, nearly 100 jobs cut."