Service matters at Medline, where veterans, active military feel the support

Service matters at Medline, where veterans, active military feel the support

As company celebrates those who wore uniform, vets likewise share appreciation for new career paths, colleagues and resources

Over a 23-year career in the Navy maintaining aircraft and managing others doing the same, Anita Lillibridge relocated 13 times, from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to Florida, Virginia, Tennessee and the USS Iwo Jima. She built up supervision skills. She took on special assignments. And when she retired in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in workforce education, training and development and a master's in human resources management, she had a wealth of experience to carry back into civilian life.

After college, Matt Maynard spent 5½ years in the Army as an armor officer, climbing from scout platoon leader to mortar platoon leader to operations officer for the 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade. He was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq, leading and ensuring the readiness of soldiers and tanks for combat. He later trained special forces and police in Honduras before leaving the Army in 2022.

After so much moving around, Lillibridge and Maynard each sought a place to settle in and apply the talents and discipline they had honed.

Today, each has found that place at Medline, where the gratitude around Veterans Day is palpable, and where they not only feel valued but see their skills mattering in a familial environment - not unlike the service.

"It's a people-friendly company where veterans can definitely thrive, especially given the leadership skill sets we developed," said Lillibridge, who joined Medline in 2020 and is now the maintenance manager overseeing a growing team at the company's distribution center in West Jefferson, Ohio. "There's a lot that can come out of a military background. If you want something done and you ask me to do it, I will make sure it gets done. With the military, that's one of the things programmed into us: If you say you're going to do something, you do it."

Maynard is equally passionate about his second career in acute care sales in the Washington, D.C., area, working with the VA and military hospitals whose language he knows so well.

"In the Army, I developed a strong work ethic, integrity and leadership abilities, and all of it translates really well to sales," he said. "There's no such thing as 'I can't do this.' We don't take no for an answer when it comes to solving problems for our customers. I feel like that's 90% of my job. Also, working with people from different socioeconomic backgrounds and cultures and local nationals in other countries, you learn how to talk and relate to pretty much anyone. And, similar to the military, I still feel I have a team behind me supporting me. I fit in well with the Medline model - one Medline team."

Support and community come largely through the Medline Veteran Engagement Team (M-VET), an employee resource group that lifts up those who have served, not just in November - when recognitions and activities are planned each year around Veterans Day - but all year round.

"Medline is committed to creating opportunities for our veterans to build careers where they can continue to make a difference using the invaluable skills developed in the military," said Stu Schneider, executive vice president, Medline Brand, and M-VET's executive sponsor. "At Medline, veterans can continue their commitment to public service by making healthcare run better for the hospitals, surgery centers, physician offices and nursing homes in their communities."

This year, M-VET launched "Operation Outreach" to amplify all that it offers: veteran resources, mentoring, panel discussions, networking opportunities and monthly coffee chats on topics such as suicide prevention and disabilities. Additional education is also in the works to help former and current military members advance their careers faster.

"We're trying diligently to get into Medline's various branches, DCs and manufacturing centers to let all veterans and military members know we're here, invite them into M-VET and make them aware of the programming and community we've put in place," said M-VET events co-chairman Chad Harris, director of business planning and analytics at Medline and an Army veteran who continues to serve as a commander with the Army National Guard. "As a veteran myself, I know some people just want to connect with others who have worn the uniform."

Medline, Harris added, "is a true supporter of veterans. They're not just saying that. They really, really mean it. And it's pretty impactful."

Jacob Roos felt it more than ever this past summer. A team lead supervising 25 people in receiving at Medline's distribution center in Jeffersonville, Ind., Roos is also a sergeant and aircraft electrician in the Army Reserves, committed to one weekend per month and two weeks in the summer. This year, he needed extended time in Sweden and Denmark, where his aviation unit was working to train and build relations with soldiers in those countries. Medline approved the additional military leave without hesitation.

"A lot of the supervisors and other people I work at Medline with tell me they're proud of what I'm doing," Roos said. "Sometimes, especially with shifts switching, my co-workers don't see me for a long time. But when I come back and I tell them why I was gone and what I was doing, they're super supportive."

That sense of support spoke to Deon Terrell, even from his first Medline interview. Now a branch trainer at the Rogers, Minn., distribution center, he served in administration with the Marines from 1998 to 2002, coordinating orders, housing and benefits for other personnel. The Marines equipped him with organizational and relationship skills he uses every day. But he didn't find a civilian role that truly felt right until he discovered Medline in 2018.

"What I was looking for after serving, I had no idea," Terrell said. "The transition from military to civilian life can be a lot more difficult than people realize.

"How Medline acknowledges us was a surprise at first. It was eye-opening. If I were talking to another vet about coming to Medline, the first thing I would say is it's the first company I've worked with that really cares. They tell you they care. They show you they care."

Read more about some of M-VET's work in the community, as well as Medline career opportunities.