Lead image: A rendering of Medline’s new distribution center to be built in Van Buren Township, MI.

Northfield, IL-based medical-surgical products distributor Medline announced Oct. 15 that it plans to open an approximately 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Van Buren Township, MI, a Detroit suburb.

The facility is expected to begin serving customers in late 2028, adding capacity and operational flexibility to support healthcare providers across Michigan and the broader Midwest.

Logistics real estate developer Ashley Capital is leading development at its Crossroads Distribution Center North industrial park. Medline said the facility will house technologies already used at its other distribution centers.

“We expect this new facility to strengthen our ability to serve customers with a more resilient and responsive supply chain,” Medline Executive Vice President of Acute Care Tom Reynolds said.

Medline did not disclose a project cost or anticipated employment figures.

The announcement follows several substantial developments across Medline’s logistics network in 2026.

On March 11, the company broke ground on a 1.2-million-square-foot distribution center in Midlothian, TX, about 25 miles south of Dallas-Fort Worth. Expected to become fully operational in 2027’s second quarter, that facility will complement Medline’s existing Wilmer location and incorporate technologies including the AutoStore automated storage and retrieval system.

In June, Medline expanded its Prime Vendor model outside the U.S. for the first time through an agreement between Medline Canada and healthcare procurement organization Mohawk Medbuy. The arrangement, scheduled to begin this fall, supports participating Southwestern Ontario hospitals through a stockless distribution model, with nearly daily deliveries of customized, low-unit quantities from Medline’s Guelph, Ontario, facility.

Meanwhile, a June 11 fire destroyed Medline’s approximately 1-million-square-foot distribution center in Tracy, CA. No injuries were reported, and all employees and on-site personnel were safely evacuated.

Less than a month later, Medline announced leases for more than 1.6 million square feet of Northern California distribution space, exceeding the capacity lost in the fire. The leases cover a 925,000-square-foot building in Tracy secured for immediate occupancy and a 709,000-square-foot facility in nearby Stockton scheduled to open in January 2027.