Northfield, Illinois-based medical supply company Medline is laying off 304 workers, according to a notice filed with the state — a reduction that comes almost a year after it became a publicly traded company.

The workers are mainly corporate employees, though some facility jobs also are affected, a Medline spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday.

The layoffs are “part of a broader effort to simplify how we operate, reduce complexity and position the company for long-term success,” according to the statement.

The company remains financially strong, the statement said. During the nine months that ended Sept. 26, Medline had roughly 11% higher net sales but about 29% lower net income than for the nine months that ended Sept. 27 of the previous year. The company had a smaller dip in net income for the three months that ended Sept. 26, of 1.2%, compared with the same three months last year.

The layoff notice follows news last month that Medline no longer will sell Medline-brand medical beds following safety issues. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert late last month saying the beds’ components can overheat, leading to fires. Two people have died and 16 have been seriously injured, according to the FDA.

The layoffs, however, are not related to the bed issues, according to the Medline statement.

As of the end of last year, Medline had more than 45,000 employees worldwide, including more than 6,000 in Chicago's suburbs, according to the company.

Medline is known for products including medical supplies and instruments, patient gowns, personal protective equipment, Curad bandages and the iconic blue- and pink-striped blankets hospitals wrap around newborns.

In December, Medline’s initial public offering raised more than $7 billion, becoming the largest initial public offering of 2025.

In an earnings news release Wednesday, Medline said though its net sales increased during the first nine months of this year compared with the same time frame last year, its net income wasn’t as high because of higher operating expenses, a loss of $316 million related to a fire at one of its distribution centers in California and larger inventory costs because inflation, among other factors. Leaders cited the cost of diesel fuel as a pressure during an earnings call Wednesday.

The company also plans to “implement a larger-than-usual price increase” early next year “to offset a portion of inflationary cost pressures,” said Mike Drazin, chief financial officer at Medline, during the earnings call.

Medline shares were up about 16% mid-Wednesday afternoon.

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