Medline has announced an online landing page to provide project updates on its proposed $120-million investment in the community with its distribution center project. The company, which has been part of the Hudson Valley community for more than a decade, also repeated its commitment to growing its current regional workforce from 340 to 700 in five years.
“We’re dedicated to being a good community member and want to ensure that Hudson Valley residents receive timely and accurate information and have the opportunity to submit questions they have pertaining to our presence in Montgomery,” says Dmitry Dukhan, vice president of real estate facilities for Medline.
The project, expected to involve the development of a 1.3-million-square-foot facility on a 105-acre parcel in the Town of Montgomery, is currently before the Town Planning Board for review. If approved, Medline will increase its Orange County employee base by nearly 400 within five years of its initial operation in Montgomery. As part of its expansion, Medline expects to hire an additional 100 workers prior to the warehouse’s ribbon cutting.
Some of the questions answered on the “Facts About Medline’s Facility in the Town of Montgomery” landing page include background on the firm’s growth in Orange County and its expansion needs that necessitated the sale of its 500,000-square-foot facility in Wawayanda to Morgan Stanley.
Nick Fitzpatrick, the owner of Aden Brook Farms, sold 105-acres of the former 207-acre Mazur Farm to Medline for $18 million last year. The deal has fueled the Montgomery-based hay and agricultural products firm’s expansion, including the purchase of approximately 500 acres that adjoin Medline’s project site or are located in the Town of Montgomery, enabling the agribusiness to increase its local workforce by 30%.
Fitzpatrick said that his firm vetted Medline and during the land negotiation process came to trust the company on a number of occasions with just a handshake that would later turn into a signed commitment. “They are excellent neighbors,” Fitzpatrick said. “They don’t cut any corners and are interested in doing everything to the highest standard that an American company can do business at.”
He added, “We are excited to have Medline as our neighbor, and I feel that for Montgomery it is really a high-quality company that is putting a high-value asset in the Town that is going to increase the values of everything around it.”
Medline, which has been named to Becker’s Hospital Reviews “150 Top Places to Work” for three consecutive years, stated that the pay scale for its Orange County employees range from $24 to $65.00 per hour, plus bonus, healthcare and other benefits.
In addition to new Medline and Aden Brook Farms jobs, the company also detailed the significant economic benefits to Montgomery and the surrounding area. Pending the final PILOT agreement, the Valley Central School District will receive approximately $14 million in tax dollars over 15 years, compared to the $12,957 annually it receives today. Once the PILOT expires, Medline will pay more than $2.5 million a year in taxes. The site’s current total tax burden is $45,000.
Maureen Halahan, president and CEO of The Orange County Partnership, praised the company for its commitment to transparency in connection with its $120-million investment in Orange County. She also stressed that Medline was courted heavily by New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but the firm eventually decided instead to remain in New York State and Orange County, despite the higher costs.
“Medline is so authentically loyal to their employees and they are doing everything they can to save those 340 jobs,” Halahan said. “They opted to spend more money and remain in Orange County to keep their workers and for that I am so proud to be working with them on this project.”
Dukhan noted that the launch of factsaboutmedline.com is reflective of Medline’s family business, inclusive culture. “We’re a fourth-generation family business, and Medline considers all of its employees and neighbors as essential to that family,” said Dukhan. “We want our current and future neighbors to have the information they want about the project at their fingertips at all times.”
The Town of Montgomery Planning Board has scheduled a public hearing on the Medline project for Aug. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the Valley Central Middle School Cafeteria.