Yesterday Gov. John Bel Edwards and Medline Industries Inc. announced the company will build an 800,000-square-foot distribution center and create more than 460 new direct jobs near Covington, with 170 new jobs created within two years of opening.
The $53 million medical supply facility will be built on the north side of Interstate 12 at La. 21, and will replace a smaller Medline distribution center located between Covington and Goodbee. With the project, Medline will retain 36 existing jobs while creating an additional 464 new direct jobs in the parish. The average annual salary of those Medline team members will be $37,400, plus benefits. Medline’s new distribution facility will feature 800,000 square feet of storage, warehousing, shipping and associated management office space, with the capacity to expand by 200,000 square feet in the future on an approximately 70-acre site. Fully developed, the distribution center could support up to 700 jobs in the future.
This proposed expansion has been the source of contention locally with some citizens complaining about additional traffic in the area.
