Medline Industries Inc. will build an 800,000-square-foot distribution center in St. Tammany Parish close to Covington announced Governer John Bel Edwards. The new $53 million project will replace the existing Medline distribution center located between Covington and Goodbee. The new location will be built on the north side of Interstate 12 at La. 21.

Medline is a family owned business and one of the largest healthcare companies in the country. They work directly with hospitals, surgical centers, assisted living facilities, nursing homes, hospices and physician offices to provide healthcare programs and products. The company distributes everything from exam and surgical gloves, face masks, isolation gowns, reusable textiles, incontinence products, electrosurgical products, housekeeping supplies to durable medical equipment, monitors and other medical equipment.

The fourth-generation owned company is the largest privately held manufacturer and distributor in the country for medical supplies. In fact, Medline made the Forbes largest private companies ranking at number 32. Medline manufactures, distributes and provides solutions for the overall operating performance of health care. The company headquarters is located in Northfield, Illinois and has over 24,000 employees across the world. Medline has business ties to over 90 countries and operates 60 distribution centers worldwide.

Currently the smaller Medline distribution center has 36 jobs which will be retained. The new building will also add 464 new direct jobs along with 611 new indirect jobs totaling more than 1,070 new jobs for the parish and Southeast Louisiana. The company also plans to create an additional 170 new jobs within the the first two years of opening its doors.

Medline chose the location because it is well positioned in both the country and the state. CEO Chris Masingill of St. Tammany Corporation, the economic development organization for St. Tammany Parish, is happy such a well-respected, global company chose St. Tammany Parish.

“With excellent infrastructure on Interstate 12, and ready access to Interstates 10, 55 and 59, St. Tammany Parish is extraordinarily well-positioned to provide state-of-the-art logistics along the Gulf Coast and into the interior U.S.,” Gov. Edwards said. “We’re delighted that the largest privately held provider of medical supplies recognizes the value proposition that Louisiana delivers in logistics, workforce and business climate. This project will be a game-changer for St. Tammany Parish, with new opportunities for our people and economic diversification for our state.”

The new project will house storage, warehousing, shipping and associated management office space in the 800,000 square feet facility. There will be another 200,000 square feet for future expansion to the 70-acre site. It is predicted that when fully developed close to 700 jobs will be available to the community.

“As a member of the Louisiana community for more than a decade, we are very pleased to continue to grow as an employer and investor in the state,” said Bill Abington, executive vice president of global operations for Medline. “With health care growing so rapidly in the region, the location is ideal for easy access to health care providers while also letting us maintain and grow our current team. We are grateful to the state, Louisiana Economic Development and officials in St. Tammany Parish who have recognized the potential of the project and worked to bring it to fruition.”

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New home sales were at their best since 2007 in this year’s report. According to the Commerce Department data, building permits have had the biggest increase in 12 years. The National Association of Realtors reported a 6.2% increase in prices of existing homes nationwide.

National Association of Homebuilders CEO Jerry Howard supports that the housing market is strong and will continue to stay strong in the new year. He advises there is no evidence of recession.

“I’ve been all over the country and builders are really, really gung-ho,” said Howard.

There are many supporting factors that indicate a strong market. Mortgage rates remain around 3.66% with solid lending trends. Mortgage originations are expected to hit over $2 trillion, the best year since 2007. The Federal Reserve has been cutting rates this year and the central bank has reduced rates a total of three times since July 2019.

Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman agrees with the data’s findings. “The Fed is going to keep rates low, the mortgage markets have priced that in, and that’s going to keep demand strong,” says Kelman.

This is good news after Benn Steil and Benjamin Della Rocca of the nonpartisan think tank Council on Foreign Relations predicted a recession before the Election in 2020. Data collected shows an exact opposite of their prediction and will continue to push for a strong economy in days to come.

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Covington residents have a new restaurant featuring a menu that focuses on the smoker and grill. This week, Pyre Provisions will officially open its doors.

The new restaurant, located at 70437 Hwy 21 in Covington, will serve lunch Monday – Saturday, dinner Tuesday – Saturday and brunch on Sunday. Pyre Provisions is a steakhouse meets barbecue-style restaurant with a laid-back, family-style shared meals atmosphere.

A vast array of menu items are featured from brisket to Chinese-style pork ribs to hanger steak and grilled fish.

“When I look at this style of cooking, it’s not just the barbecue of the United States,” owner and chef Jeff Mattia said in an earlier interview explaining his intent for Pyre Provisions. “They’re doing barbecue in India, they’re doing it in Argentina, they’re doing it all over the place. We’re going to get creative here.”

Chef Jeff Mattia is a well-known chef from New Orleans who is the former chef for Bacobar close to downtown Covington. Mattia and his crew use a smoker in the back of the restaurant and a grill located in the kitchen. Although this is a laid-back family-style restaurant, Mattia does add his culinary techniques from his career in fine dining.

Mattia’s resume includes chef de cuisine at celebrity chef Tom Colicchio’s Craftsteak in Connecticut, executive sous chef at Restaurant August in New Orleans, executive chef at the American Sector in New Orleans, chef at Hyatt Regency New Orleans and the Royal Sonesta New Orleans. Along with his extensive background, he is also a pit master for Hogs for the Cause (a charity cook off team formed with fellow military veterans).

“This is about being into barbecue, embracing Southern cuisine, adding the precision for the restaurants I’ve been a part of,” he said. “We’re putting it all together with the idea of passing dishes around the table, like sitting at the Italian table I grew up with.”

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